Trek and Trail 9: Ultrarunning

Get lost in the endurance sport of Ultrarunning by explaining how it works, what gear you need, and where you can go to get lost racing it.

What the heck is Ultrarunning?

You might be familiar with some very popular marathons like the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, and Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. All of these races are limited to 26.2 miles. Some consider a runner who runs multiple marathons to be an Ultra Runner. However, the be considered a true ultrarunner -- especially by those that consider themselves ultrarunners -- you need to go beyond the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. And in most instances, take your ultrarunning off-road and into the wild. Ultrarunning has many names: endurance running, ultramarathoning, ultra trail running, and even beyond marathon running. Whatever you call it,

Some consider a runner who runs multiple marathons to be an Ultra Runner. However, the be considered a true ultrarunner -- especially by those that consider themselves ultrarunners -- you need to go beyond the marathon distance of 26.2 miles. And in most instances, take your ultrarunning off-road and into the wild. Ultrarunning has many names: endurance running, ultramarathoning, ultra trail running, and even beyond marathon running. Whatever you call it,

Ultrarunning has many names: endurance running, ultramarathoning, ultra trail running, and even beyond marathon running. Whatever you call it, ultrarunning is essentially the sport of competing in events with courses measuring 30, 50, or 100 miles in distance.

As the distance increases, the number of finishers dramatically drops off. Many try to compete in these events, but due to the extreme distance, ultra running has one of the highest DNF rates in endurance sports. Far higher than other extreme races like the Ironman or XTERRA triathlons. In fact, some ultra running events like the Barkley Marathons 100 Miler are so difficult, they have seen entire races suffer a 100-percent did not finish (DNF) rate. Not all 100-mile ultra races are created equal, but most are so hard that you are required to show proof that you completed shorter races (30 to 50

Not all 100-mile ultra races are created equal, but most are so hard that you are required to show proof that you completed shorter races (30 to 50 milers) to even register. This makes the world of ultrarunning and ultra racing a special sub-culture of runners that are unique among endurance sports athletes.

The key to ultrarunning is the ability to be resilient and just keep going even when the going is painful. While there are a lot of positive people running ultras, complete with smiles and happy faces, it takes a very determined individual to push through the tough times that running a big Ultra can produce.

Episode Highlights:

• What gear do you need to start Ultra Running?
• How do you start Ultra Running?
• Where do you a race in an Ultra?
• How do you Improve your chances of finishing an ultra run?
• What do they not tell you about ultra running?

GLR Episode Links

• Leadville Trail 100 Race, Leadville, CO
• Badwater 135 - Death Valley, CA
• Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, Silverton, CO
• Fat Dog 120 Trail Race - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
• Spartathlon - Athens to Sparta, Greece
• The Barkley Marathon - 100 Mile Run (Not an official website)
• Trail Runner Magazine - 20 Beginner-Friendly Trail Ultras
• Reckoneer - Build Your Own Ultra

Until then, I hope you Get Lost Racing!

Outdoor Reckoneering Links

Reckoneer - Business School for Race Directors Merchants of Dirt Podcast - Outdoor Event Management

Our Sponsor

Gagglepod - Become Podcast Worthy

What Do You Think?

I want to know what you think about my podcast! Please leave me feedback by doing the following:

1. Go to the Merchants of Dirt Podcast iTunes page.
2. Click View in iTunes under the show artwork.
3. Submit a review and give it a 5-star rating!

Thank You for Listening

Thank you so much for listening to Get Lost Racing Podcast. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to me @MerchantsofDirt on Twitter, by Email, or my Contact Form.

Join the Conversation

If you're thinking about creating a race for this discipline, please join my Facebook group: Race Promoters' Hangout.