Athlo Blog

For most people, running 100 miles sounds like as much fun as a bare knuckle fight with Mike Tyson. But for those looking to put their bodies and mind to the ultimate test, an ultramarathon is probably on their list of things to do before they die. It’s definitely on mine. An ultramarathon is by definition any distance greater than the normal 26.2 mile marathon.  A large number of ultramarathons today seem to be at or close to 100 miles. A race this long and challenging requires some serious training and lessons learned from those who have gone the distance before.

I recently came across a blog called The Run Down maintained by Charlie Nickell and Greg Hardesty that is about, you guessed it, ultramarathons. One post in particular, entitled So, You Want To Run 100 Miles, was a collection of tips and advice from people who have completed multiple races at that distance to those of us considering it. As I expected, not one of them said it was easier than they thought it would be. The general consensus was that at some point you will feel terrible and consider quitting. But it is those who are able to overcome and push through the pain, even if you just keep walking, that will discover a sense of satisfaction that I can only imagine.

Check out The Run Down and hopefully they will continue to post more great articles on their site. Active.com has a large list of ultramarathons you can register for but there are some, like the Western States 100 and Badwater Ultra 135, which require you to qualify in other races before you are allowed to enter.  If anyone has done an ultra and can think of big mistakes to avoid on a first attempt, drop a comment and share it with us.

Dean Karnazes is a name that has become more and more widely known in the running community. For anyone who does not know who he is, 60 Minutes recently said that “it’s likely he has run more miles than any other living person.” Whether that is true or not is probably something that would be hotly debated within the running community. There are many other ultramarathon runners who have won many more races than Dean.

Regardless of the number of races he has won, his running resume is impressive. Winning the 2004 Badwater Ultramarathon and in 2005 running 350 continuous miles without sleeping are just two of the highlights. In 2006, he completed the North Face Endurance 50 which consisted of running 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. He competed in some actual marathon races but for most of the 50 he recreated the course and ran with whoever came out to join him. I did the Chicago marathon that year and distinctly remember him passing me around mile 20.

Dean’s second book, 50/50: Secrets I learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days — and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!, chronicles his journey across America and is currently in bookstores. In addition to the book, the movie UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons • 50 States • 50 Days will be in theaters soon but for one night only. The showing is only July 31st and you will need to check the theater map to see if it is playing near you. Whether you are a long distance runner, short distance runner or are thinking about starting to run, this movie is sure to inspire you to get out there. It might not inspire you enough to sign up for the next North Face Endurance 50, but then again maybe it will.