Ultra-cycling is a captivating world that sees solo or paired cyclists race by bike over distances that can range from 600km to over 4000km in locations across the world.
Like most sports, the discipline is male-dominated but a shifting narrative is emerging as more and more women embark on these races against the clock, others and themselves.
At the start of February, 16 such women lined up at the start-line of the 2024 edition of the Race Around Rwanda, a 1000km self-supported non-stop race in what is known as the land of a thousand hills.
They were challenged physically and mentally, and discovered as much about themselves as they did about the East African country, its lush landscapes, friendly people and hopeful culture.
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