As stated in the opening line of almost every article ever written about ultra-running, an ultra-marathon is anything longer than a normal marathon, 26.2 miles. However in the ultra-running world it is generally accepted that 50k (31 miles) is the first stop on the ultra-marathon journey.
Events usually start at 50k but range in distances up to anything you can think of, or what most couldn’t even contemplate thinking of.
For instance you could just go longer, 50 miles, 100 miles, even 200 miles. Not enough? How about The Monarch’s Way, a non-stop 615 mile race in the UK (organised by Challenge Running). Not far enough? OK, well how about Self Transcendence 3100: 3,100 miles around a ½ mile block in Queens, New York (Sri Chinmoy races)
Don’t fancy that? Hills and mountains are more your thing? What about UTS (Ultra Trail Snowdonia): 30,000ft in 102 miles. Terrain a bit too technical terrain for you? OK, how about the rolling hills of the South Wales Valleys then, for SW100 (RunWalkCrawl): 21,000ft over 102 miles over the Brecon Beacons. They aren’t proper mountains, did I hear you say? OK fine, go for Tor des Geants, the longest race of the UTMB week in Chamonix: circa 78,000ft over 330 km, in the Swiss, Italian and French Alps (Ultra Trail Mont Blanc).
OK, so you don’t like elevation change but you do well in extreme weather conditions? How about Badwater135? 135 miles and 14,600ft through Death Valley in August (AdventureCorps). Perhaps the 6633 Artic Ultra: 380 miles starting on the edge of the Arctic Circle and heading North pulling a pulk in -35 degree temperatures finishing on the banks of the Arctic Ocean (Likeys Ltd).
No? Perhaps go for the novelty factor then. The Beer Ultra: 10 beers at checkpoints over 50k (from the creators of Ultra magazine). Don’t like the sunshine? Then the Tunnel Ultra is for you. The world’s longest underground race, 100 out and backs along a 1 mile underground tunnel (Cockbain events). Or, perhaps one day or, if you’re feeling brave, six days going round a 400 metre track or small 1-mile loop going as far as you can (various organisers all over the world).
In other words, think of the wackiest idea you could have for a race and chances are that somewhere in the world it already exists. New race concepts are continuously being thought up, attracting huge interest and selling out quickly in their second year. For instance, Escape from Meriden or Escape from GB, where everyone starts at the same place at the same time, but there is no route. You can go wherever you like, tracked by GPS tracker – the start is unlike any other race you’ve ever seen! When the time is up, the person who travelled the furthest, as the crow flies, wins. The appeal here is that it isn’t just about running, it's about route planning, logistics and self-sufficiency. The route planning alone could give you a ultra-running focus for months and that’s without even thinking about the training.
The one thing they all have in common is that they offer different challenges and different appeals and it’s that level of variety - and the sheer volume of options that exist in today’s ultra-running calendar - that give ultra-runners headaches around the summer/autumn when people start to plan for the following year. After all you can’t (sustainably) run an ultra every weekend throughout the year.
So, is running an ultra-marathon hard?
Well, that depends on a huge variety of factors. If you’re running a very long way, or a very mountainous route, then quite simply yes, but even then there are nuances.
Most people don’t jump (and nor should they) straight into 100 mountain mile races in the Alps, instead making their step up from marathon to ultra by adding the extra 5 miles to their marathon distance and go for a 50k. This is sensible, and physically and mentally more realistic. Don’t get me wrong, people have thrown themselves in at the deep end and gone for 50 milers and further, but are they still running ultras? Perhaps, but running ultra-marathons of longer distances or with greater elevation requires an increased level of physical and mental preparation. Confidence through experience is massive and successfully achieving your goals at 50k or 40 miles goes a long way to helping you enjoy ultra-running and if you don’t enjoy it, why would you do it?
The reality is that for a 50k ultra, with a non-brutal elevation profile, good marathon training will get you through to the end. Could you run quicker or stronger? Of course, but it’s all relative; there is always room for improvement in everyone, but marathon training will get you your ‘bling’. (bling for ultra-marathons is usually better than for marathons, especially road marathons – just sayin’).
A different mind-set
For a marathon road runner who is contemplating running an ultra, the prospect can be scary. Marathon runners hit the wall around 20 miles and invariably struggle from there on to the end. So where does the physical energy for the extra 10+ miles come from?
During a marathon, you have trained hard to run a specific time and your plan is to maintain a set minute per mile split so a few seconds here and there can be the difference between your own personal feelings of success and failure. Marathon runners often go back to the same race year after year to try to go that bit quicker. In road running, there aren’t too many variables. Weather possibly, but even then it has limited impact; heavy rain during a road marathon may slow you down a bit but not that much. During a trail race (doesn’t even have to be an ultra), along a coastal path or woodland trail for instance, rain in the week prior to the event (not even during the event) will be a game changer, creating a mud bath and throwing out the window any prior race goals or aspirations.
Simply, for most people, the time it takes isn’t important; it’s about completing not competing. As such, when most ultra-runners come up against ‘that hill’ which if it were a road race they would always run, during an ultra, they won’t. Instead, they would call upon ultra-running’s best kept secret, walking.
You’d more than likely take the opportunity to have a little snack and get some extra calories on. The mind-set is totally different to road running and a lot of road runners really struggle to adapt to this and think that if they can’t run it all then it’s cheating.
More than this though, most ultra-marathons are scenic, where there are views to enjoy and photos to take. When do you ever see someone do that during a road marathon? What about talking to people running around you? Ever run a road marathon where you got chatting to the person next to you and made a new friend for life? Of course not, you’re too busy looking at your minute mile splits and stressing out over the fact that the last mile was 10 seconds slower than the plan in your head.
Feeling a little tired or lacking in energy? During a road race you would just push on, push hard and, during a road marathon, likely end up hitting the wall as a result. During an ultra you wouldn’t. You’d chill for a bit, have a walk break, have a snack or have a chat to someone to distract you from the time, the hill, the pain.
Getting older doesn’t matter
If you’re looking for a new challenge, or you’re getting a bit older and lowering your marathon PB each year gets harder and harder, or you simply want to enjoy some of the amazing scenery the UK (and further afield) has to offer then trust me, ultra-running is for you.
You can do it and once you have you will be hooked and you’ll want to keep pushing your own boundaries to find where your limits are.
Personally, I started with the 50k distance, then moved up to 50 miles and then jumped to 100 miles. Completing a 100 mile race gives you confidence but that confidence doesn’t make the next 100 mile race easy. You may be able to blag a slow marathon or half marathon finish on limited training, but try that with an ultra and you will be found out.
These days I look to challenge myself in different ways. I’ve done hilly races (SW100 Brecon Beacons), and races with winter conditions and limited support and strict time cut offs (Arc of Attrition in Cornwall). My next challenge is more of a mental one. A 1.1 mile loop for 60hrs. I have a goal and I plan to push my boundary to see where my limit is.
Taking your next step
The ultra-running scene continues to explode, proving that once you’ve done one, you’ll be hooked and you won’t look back.
I have a four stage strategy for entering ultra-marathons:
Step 1 – Enter
Step 2 – Panic
Step 3 – Train
Step 4 – Enjoy
In many ways ultra-running is simple, go slow, keep going and do whatever is needed to keep moving forward.
In the words of William Sichel (multiple World and Age Group Record holder at ultra-distance and multiple Self Transcendence 3100 runner)….
"If you want to do one, do it.
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