In this episode of the Tough Girl Podcast, we’re joined by Marie “Lootie” Leautey, the second woman in history to run around the world solo and unsupported — and the fastest woman to do it.
Lootie’s journey began in France, far from the running world. A former smoker and corporate finance professional, she swapped cigarettes for daily runs at 25, building up to her first marathon in just eight months. That spark turned into an audacious dream: to run across the globe — 26,000+ km, across four continents, relying entirely on herself.
Starting her run in Europe in December 2019, Lootie faced deserts, mountains, and long stretches between resupply points, carrying only a 12–15kg stroller packed with her essentials. Along the way, she experienced the kindness of strangers, the thrill of new cultures, and the incredible mental discipline required to run a marathon every day for years.
Beyond the physical feat, Lootie shares how her journey is rooted in purpose: raising funds for Women for Women International, honouring her grandmother’s legacy, and inspiring women to ask themselves, “Why am I doing this, and is it aligned with who I want to be?”
This is a story of grit, adventure, and the extraordinary power of chasing your own path — a reminder that there’s very little you can’t achieve once you set your mind to it.
***
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast drop every Tuesday at 7 AM (UK time)! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss the inspiring journeys and incredible stories of tough women pushing boundaries.
Do you want to support the Tough Girl Mission to increase the amount of female role models in the media in the world of adventure and physical challenges? Support via Patreon! Join me in making a difference by signing up here: www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
Your support makes a difference. Thank you x
***
Show notes
Who is Lootie Becoming the 2nd woman to run around the world - solo and unsupported Fastest women to run around the world Her early years growing up in France Coming from a sporty family but not being interested in running Her love for team sports Being a smoker Being out of shape at 25/26 years old Swapping her cigarettes for a run ever day Her wake up call in Greece while learning how to windsurf Building up to a marathon distance- 8 months later Leaving France when she was 20 - working in finance for big corporates Having the idea to run around the world Going on Google - has anyone run around the world before The World Runners Association (WRA) Her route and the rules and how they gave her structure Needing to cross a minimum of 4 continents, and run in one continuous direction Running a minimum distance of just under 30,000 km (The runner must cover a total of at least 26,232 km on foot) Making the decision and the commitment Understanding her WHY and having it at the forefront of her mind Self financing the challenge Deciding to run a marathon per day Taking 2 years in the planning and preparation Running without time pressure The daily thoughts, the novelty of running Never thinking of giving up as this is exactly what she wanted Her running set up - and keeping it as light as possible (12 - 15kg) Researching with google maps - trying to figure out her location every 40km The longest distances without resupply - and knowing she would need to camp and to be self sufficient. Having a stroller with waterproof bags The mental side of the challenge while running Having a sensory experience while running Not being bored on any of the days - even while crossing the desert in Australia Speaking French, English, German and Greek Starting her run in Europe and why it was such a challenge (covid) Starting 6th December 2019 After leaving Europe and heading to America (Getting an exception from the WRA) Arriving in New York in Mid November 2021 What daily life was like on the road Starting running at dawn and being done by lunchtime What the afternoons would look like Carrying 2 GPS trackers - and updating the info daily (or as often as possible when wifi was available) Going to bed by 9pm and sleeping very well throughout the challenge - going from sleeping 5hrs a night to 9/10 hours of sleep at night Eating what you find, eat until you are not hungry anymore Not being dependent on certain types of food, drinks, gels, supplements etc Running in South America (her first visit was on the run), starting in Patagonia Running up to 4,000m of altitude Being inspired by her Grandmother who was the director of the first feminist library in France Being taught the differences between the treatment between men and woman Being encouraged to do what ever she wanted Wanting to use her voice to share that message with women Running for Women for Women International Wanting to rise $1 per km run The challenges of running in Australia: - road trains, distances between resupply points The kindness of strangers Running in Australia between May and August - which is Autumn time Finishing the world run in Sydney, Australia and coming to the end of the run and the experience. Feeling a little bit of satisfaction and also wanting the run to continue - a cocktail of strong and contradictory emotions Feeling at peace now - 3 years after the run The day after and not needing to run anymore Never missing the running, even though she enjoyed it everyday Struggling to run casually after the end of the world run Flying back to France and going back to the normal world Having a publishing contract in France and being ready after 2/3 months to start writing about the experience Feeling that the adventure was so rich - that she wanted to write the story in English and finding a publisher in the United States The next challenge…. Deciding to run across Africa Wanting to be a teacher How to connect with Lootie on social media Final words of advice for other women who want to take on their own personal challenge Whatever you’re doing — at work or in your life — pause and ask yourself: Why am I doing this? And how aligned is it with who I am, or who I want to become? There’s very little you can’t do once you set your mind to it. Her motto - Wanting to see the world, enjoy it and appreciate every step of the way.
Social Media
Website: lootie-run.com
Instagram: @lootierun
Facebook: @lootierun
Strava: www.strava.com/athletes/48402997
