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British Runner Becomes 1st Woman to Finish Barkley Marathons in the US

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British Runner Becomes 1st Woman to Finish Barkley Marathons in the US

The first female runner to complete one of the world's toughest races in the United States has said she did it for "women worldwide.”

The UK’s Jasmin Paris is one of only 20 people to have finished the Barkley Marathons in Tennessee since it was extended to 100 miles in 1989.

She crossed the finish line on Friday with 99 seconds to spare before the 60-hour cut-off, the BCC reported.

Jasmin, from Midlothian, said it was about testing the limits of what she was capable of and inspiring others.

The course, at Frozen Head State Park, changes every year but covers 100 miles involving 60,000ft of climb and descent - about twice the height of the Mount Everest.

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Berlin’s Newest Pygmy Hippo Makes Her Debut, with Name Inspired by Football Star

Female pygmy hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis) Toni strolls through its enclosure at the Zoological Garden in Berlin on August 15, 2024, during its first presentation to the public. (AFP)
Female pygmy hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis) Toni strolls through its enclosure at the Zoological Garden in Berlin on August 15, 2024, during its first presentation to the public. (AFP)
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Berlin’s Newest Pygmy Hippo Makes Her Debut, with Name Inspired by Football Star

Female pygmy hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis) Toni strolls through its enclosure at the Zoological Garden in Berlin on August 15, 2024, during its first presentation to the public. (AFP)
Female pygmy hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis) Toni strolls through its enclosure at the Zoological Garden in Berlin on August 15, 2024, during its first presentation to the public. (AFP)

The Berlin Zoo's newest baby pygmy hippo made her public debut on Thursday, a day after her name — Toni, inspired by German soccer star Antonio Rüdiger — was chosen from more than 20,000 suggestions.

Toni was born on June 3. She's still not much bigger than a small dog but delighted zoo visitors as she explored her enclosure alongside her mother, Debbie.

The zoo sought suggestions for the baby's name and sifted through the thousands of names over recent weeks. Zoo director Andreas Knieriem said he initially leaned toward traditional Berlin names like Boulettchen — which translates to “little meatball” — but the little hippo's popularity on social media and the many name proposals suggested that she would become “a real world star.”

“We wanted to take account of this development with a short, concise name that also works well outside Berlin,” he said in a statement Wednesday.

Rüdiger, a Berlin native who plays for Real Madrid and Germany, agreed to become the animal's honorary patron — or, as the zoo put it, “coach” — sealing the deal for “Toni.”

Debbie reared previous offspring in 2004, 2007 and 2008. The zoo has succeeded in breeding the species since 1921, which it says was the first time it occurred in Europe.

Pygmy hippopotamuses are an endangered species and fewer than 2,500 adults remain in Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the zoo said. They are already extinct in Nigeria and face a major loss of habitat as West African forests are cleared for mining and agricultural use, it added.