Complete An Ultra Marathon
Ticked off in September 2014
Anything beyond 26.2 miles, where the race stops being about speed and becomes about how far you can keep going.
The adventure
An ultramarathon is any race longer than a marathon, and the moment you pass 42.2 kilometres you are in new territory. Most ultras take place on trails, hills or long-distance paths, and the whole approach changes. You walk the climbs, eat real food at aid stations and learn to manage your body over hours rather than minutes.
The classic experiences come in many forms. Some races follow a river for 100 kilometres or cross the country along an ancient wall, while mountain ultras such as the UTMB circle Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland. Many involve running into the night by headtorch. Somewhere in the long middle there will be a low point, and the magic of ultra running is coming out the other side of it, still moving, and finishing a distance that once seemed impossible.
And if a hundred kilometres sounds a lot, the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race in New York goes round and round a single city block for up to 52 days, with runners averaging nearly 60 miles a day.
Why it’s epic
- The UTMB covers around 170 km with roughly 10,000 metres of climbing around Mont Blanc.
- South Africa's Comrades Marathon, first run in 1921, is the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon.
- The Self-Transcendence 3100 is run around a single block in Queens, New York, for 3,100 miles.
- A 50 km trail race is the most common first step beyond the marathon.
What it is
An ultramarathon is any race longer than a marathon.
How to do it
Start with a 50-kilometre trail race.
Top tip
Train on similar terrain.
Need to know
- Trail skills, hill walking and fuelling on the move matter as much as speed.
- Many races have mandatory kit lists, including a headtorch, waterproof jacket and emergency blanket.
- The biggest mountain races need qualifying points or previous finishes to enter.
Do it yourself
- HotelsBooking.com
- FlightsKiwi.com
- Adventure travel insuranceWorld NomadsWe receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “Complete An Ultra Marathon” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.