In this article about ultra-running, we unpack what it is, why people run ultras and how to get into this long-distance world. It’s a part of running that’s growing rapidly and has an addictive nature. Here running coach, guide and ultra-runner Karin unpacks what it’s all about!
Your running journey will always start with that very first step. For most mortals, the concept of a half marathon seems big. As the milestones of first 1km, 1mile, 20mins non-stop, 30mins non-stop, 5km, 10km all get ticked off, the once seemingly impossible, starts to creep into our inner thoughts. Could I run a half marathon? It’s a slippery slope, and before long you may find yourself with your finger hovering over the ‘Enter here’ button of your first ultra!
What is an ultra?
So what is an Ultra? An ultra is defined as a ‘footrace longer than traditional marathon distance’ so anything longer than 26.2miles, or 42.195km. Clearly not all ultras are created equal given this definition, with a 27mile flat race not really comparable to a 200 mile mountain race, but this is also where the beauty is. There is some debate as to how multi day events should be classified, purists saying only events longer than marathon distance on any day count. Similarly, backyard ultras (looped courses which cover 4.167 miles which has to be run each hour or you are timed out) are only actually ultras if you make it beyond 26.2miles. Even in a sport as niche as this, the snobbery begins not long after the start gun.
How hard can they be?
The number of events has absolutely exploded over the last 20 years, allowing ultra running into every corner of the earth and on every terrain imaginable. Each year there is a new ‘extreme’ race, but just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is toughness. The quest for arduous racing seems to be the driving force, which I personally believe misses the point somewhat. There is even a race in the US that covers 3100 miles of loops around a 0.5488 mile block in Queens, NY. It is very aptly named Transcendence. For a hot Ultra, the Marathon Des Sables or perhaps Badwater 135. The most unlikely to finish, the Barkley Marathon. The coldest 6633 Ultra. I don’t even know what category to put it in, but there is a 200 mile ultra in the UK which consists of out and backs in the darkness in the UKs longest foot tunnel. And just in case that wasn’t bad enough, no headphones are allowed (named, as you guessed it, the Tunnel ultra). Throw into the mix races which require you to manage your own sleep like the Tor des Geants or The Spine, there are events that challenge your very existence.
Why run an ultra?
There is something magical about asking of our bodies something that we are not sure whether we can accomplish. Unlike a 5km or 10km, where most training plans will get you to that distance before race day, with ultras, the time needed for effective recovery from monster runs means distances of more than 25 miles or so rarely feature in ultra training plans, even for the professionals. Stepping onto the start line for the first time, often is a real step into the unknown. Doing battle with your own demons of doubts and insecurity. Due to the time and difficulty of the events, curveballs get thrown in that are sometimes hard to anticipate. Gastro issues frequently raise their heads even for the professionals, and an inability to fuel can be race ending. Similarly small rubs from clothing or shoes you have run in hundreds of times before, can create huge agonising raw skin which can end a race. Not knowing you are going to get to the end till the end is in sight, is unique.
One of our alpine guides talks of an epiphany moment 200km into a 320km race in the Alps, where he felt at one with trail running and his surroundings. From hallucinations to out of body experiences and not an illegal drug in sight! There is a hard core that seek those unique life defining moments out.
Away from that, running ultras can give an opportunity to really explore an unknown area, spend time in nature, and really simplifying life down to putting one foot in front of the other. There is also this point in a runner’s career where the thought of running 1 mile further seems immensely more doable than running 10minutes quicker, so it’s a bit of a cop out option to still be ‘improving’ while not getting quicker.
How to pick an ultra
1 – Try and understand your WHY and use this to drive the basis of your choice. Do you want to simply tick off doing an ultra? Do you want to see a new area? Do you want to get a fast time? Do you need to gains points or stones for entry into another bucket list event? Do you want it to be as logistically easy as possible? Do you want it to be as physically hard as possible?
2 – One of the beauties of ultra running is that age is less of a limiter than in shorter events. Western States, UTMB, Leadville, Badwater have all had runners in their 70s finish. My point being that you can start your ultra career with a more tempered effort, and build up from there. There are lots of events of 50k distance, which is a nice stepping stone from marathon distance. Also don’t be duped into thinking that a flat event is easier than a hillier course. Flat ultras create an awful lot of repetitive movement, which can put more strain on the body than the constant transitioning on a hilly course. At the sharp end the times are quicker, but for the masses it can be more of a challenge.
3 – Think about the logistics. Unlike a 10k race which you are likely able to drive home from, or catch the train from without too much difficulty, the sheer strain of an ultra on the body may mean you are in no state to be getting home under your own steam. Make sure you have options, whether that’s staying near the event, or having someone accompany you. In addition, many events allow crews and even pacers, so making the event as easy as possible for everyone involved, is a bonus.
4 – Run somewhere that inspires you. When you are over halfway, but realise the distance left is still longer than most of the training runs you have ever done, being able to appreciate and enjoy where you are running, makes it a lot easier to keep going. This doesn’t have to be far flung, perhaps you have a local famous trail that you often walk the dog along but have never run the whole thing, I bet there is a race that covers it!
How do you get ready?
Understanding your WHY, and what you hope to achieve will dictate how you get ready for it. Find a training plan online, or get in touch with a coach who specialises in the sort of event you are looking to complete, or build your own plan using all available resource. The areas that absolutely should not be missed:
1 – Strength and Conditioning. It really is important. The longer you run and the more fatigued you are, the more your body will hold you in position, the stronger you are. If you know you have a specific weakness, don’t shy away, but embrace that. If its ankles, do the strength and mobility work with resistance bands. If its glutes, become a squat queen/king.
2 – The Long Run. You can’t get away from the long run. As a coach I rarely have a client that says to me ‘oh I’m really sorry, life got in the way, so I had to skip the easy run this week’. It’s always the faster or longer runs that are victim to life getting in the way. If you are training for an ultra, of any distance, you should be getting in runs of 20miles plus in the months before the event. Back-to-back runs are great (rather than single effort huge runs), but you can’t escape the endurance runs totally. If you don’t have time for these, then perhaps now isn’t the time for an ultra.
3 – Testing out every element of your kit. Ultras generally have longer mandatory kit lists, and you don’t want there to be any surprises on race day. Practise using your race pack. Practise getting things in and out the pack. Everything that you know you will need should be stored with easy access. Everything that you may well need, or perhaps may need at certain times of the race (such as a headtorch or rain coat), can be stored in a slightly more inaccessible place, but not one that requires you to unpack your whole bag. Items that you really hope you never need can be buried a bit deeper. It isn’t just the time it takes to get out awkwardly packed things, but the effort and energy it takes when your reserves are very depleted.
5 – Testing out your nutrition. Test out all your food that you plan to use. If you are relying on checkpoints, try and find what sort of things they have, and make sure these are things you can stomach. What tastes good while sat at home in your kitchen, can be very different when you have been running for 10 hours. I know that I personally need savoury, and I need texture. In fact, running an ultra is the only time you are likely to ever see me eat a Peperami, but there is something about the saltiness that really works for me when racing. Try different things, try real food, try gels, try sweet, try savoury. Find the best combination for energy, weight, ease of eating, and sickliness.
A word of caution!
As a final note of caution, ultras can be addictive. Once you realise that those limitations you once thought you had, might be just in your mind, the unfathomable suddenly becomes intriguing. That being said, if you have read this and thought ‘not on your nelly’ then be assured also that nobody needs to run ultras to be more of a runner. Let’s not let running get caught up in the faster, further, harder scramble that so much of other parts of life can be! You enjoy running for you!
