Many kinds of runners from casual to serious run a 5K race or even a half marathon. Fewer have tried to conquer the 26 miles of a marathon, but the challenges don’t end there. Ultra endurance events have proliferated in recent years, but for years the definitive extreme event was the Ironman triathlon. With its 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26 mile run it offered participants a significant challenge. These new events push participants ever closer to the limits of their physical and mental endurance.
Considering Ultra Endurance Events
There are no official mileage requirements for ultra-endurance events but running events can be 50 to 100 miles and cycling events are often several hundred miles (source). These events are at least as much mental as physical and this drive to test one’s perseverance is a major factor in their growing popularity. For some people who have competed in events like marathons and triathlons the more extreme races are the next logical step. For example, the Ultraman held in Orlando Florida includes a 6.2 mile swim, 263 mile bike ride and 52.4 mile run spread over three days (source). Keep in mind that training for a race like this would be a serious commitment.
Tips for Ultra Endurance Events
Preparation is important for any physical challenge, but these more extreme events require even more careful attention to detail. With several months of training leading up to these events you have to manage your training, nutrition and rest and recuperation carefully so you don’t get injured or burnout before race day. You might find it helpful to approach these ultra-endurance events a bit differently than the more conventional events. Instead of worrying about your splits and how well you can place focus on a slow and steady strategy that will give you the best chance to complete the challenge (source). Even if you’re in absolute peak physical condition perseverance is what will get you to the finish line.
Here’s a List of Some of the Toughest Ultra Endurance Events Around the World.
1.) Race Across America– From Oceanside, California, teams and solo-riders pedal 3,000 miles to Annapolis, Maryland, climbing 170,000 along the way. The winners average about 22 hours a day on their bikes (which equates to about 250 to 350 miles per day), in order to complete the ride under the 12-day limit.
2.) Marathon de sables – Runners in the Marathon des Sables, which Discovery contributor David DeFranza listed as the world’s toughest footrace, brave approximately 150 miles of Moroccan desert while carrying their food and supplies on their backs.
3.) Iditarod Trail Invitational- Contenders in the Iditarod Trail Invitational run, bike, sled, or ski their way across 1,000 miles of Alaskan snow in February. They have a maximum time limit of 30 days to finish and must carry their own supplies.
4.) Jungle Ultra– Runners cover 142.6 miles through the humid Peruvian jungle in a five-stage, self-supported race—all while battling temperatures in the 90s and plenty of bugs. The course drops 10,500 feet to the jungle floor and crosses some 70 rivers and streams as it winds through the jungle. “As you are in the jungle you will face humidity levels reaching near 100 percent, making sweating useless in maintaining your core body temperature,” reads the website.
5.) Alaska Mountain Wilderness Challenge – Since 1982, roughly 15 people a year attempt to find the path of least resistance across more than 100 miles of wild Alaskan terrain. There’s no route or GPS, and participants must be skilled in self-rescue (and carry a SAT phone). Some have compared it to combat, and race veterans are quick to caution the unprepared and overzealous. “If you can’t get off the couch right now and do an ultramarathon, you shouldn’t even think about doing this race,” reads a post on a blog for the event.
6.) Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile– The Self-Transcendence, now in its 18th year, is not tucked in some remote corner of the world. Instead, it’s held in an unassuming corner of Queens, New York. And it tests competitors’ mental strength as much as their fitness. Runners must cover 3,100 miles in 52 days by completing 5,649 mind-numbing laps around one city block.
7.) La Ruta de los Conquistadores – From the Costa Rican jungle to high-altitude peaks and active volcanoes, bikers must battle knee-deep mud and sand (and poison dart frogs) over four stages on a course that climbs 29,000 feet over 161 miles. Since 1993, 450 riders a year ride from the Pacific to the Atlantic,tracing the path of three 16th-century Spanish conquistadors—except it took the latter 20 years to do it.
Tips for Ultra Endurance Events
Preparation is important for any physical challenge, but these more extreme events require even more careful attention to detail. With several months of training leading up to these events you have to manage your training, nutrition and rest and recuperation carefully so you don’t get injured or burnout before race day. You might find it helpful to approach these ultra-endurance events a bit differently than the more conventional events. Instead of worrying about your splits and how well you can place focus on a slow and steady strategy that will give you the best chance to complete the challenge (source). Even if you’re in absolute peak physical condition perseverance is what will get you to the finish line.
Mike Phelps
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