Looking back, in 2003 almost 18,000 people in North America finished an ultramarathon. Last year the number was 105,000. Why has there been such an explosion in interest and participation in ultras? Many seasoned ultra runners point to social media, which spreads word of the sport and fuels the imagination of those who have already conquered the marathon distance. Some in the ultra world are not happy about the social media influence, saying it gives rise to people looking for kudos by calling themselves "ultrarunners" for participating in just one event, and that the sport has lost its edge as a result.
Personally, I was never one to enter ultramarathon races. Instead, I preferred to put myself out there alone -- reaching for the horizon solo as I crossed states and countries self supported. To me, that is the ultimate in "ultrarunning." No medical staff nearby; no aid stations; no support crews; no shiny medal or belt buckle award for finishing -- just me... and an 80-pound stroller of gear, food and water to push... and the miles stretched out in front of me. However, it is a very small sliver of the running world that pursues the kind of running that I once did.
Today, many people have conquered the 26.2-mile marathon distance. In some ways, the marathon has lost its mystique and is now commonplace on many runners' lists of accomplishments. Now, many are wanting to go farther and push their limits of personal endurance. The chairman of the Trail Running Association recently said that the ever-growing contrast between our normal, sedate lives and the feeling you get in an ultra of being fully alive and on the edge is key to the sport’s growing appeal.
Essentially, many in the endurance running community believe that the sport of ultra running is acting like a magnet for those who are wanting more than their mundane and sedentary lives are giving them. They want to experience something of their wilder selves, and ultra running can certainly bring a person to the edge of their capabilities and emotions. Getting through the pain barrier, the wall, pushing beyond your limits, was once part of the appeal of standard marathons. However, the feeling you get (the "runner’s high") is much greater in an ultramarathon.
It has been 33 years since I first ran an "ultra" by going beyond the standard 26.2-mile marathon distance. Since then, I have logged tens of thousands of miles... my legs carrying me to places I would have never imagined back when I was that naive 20-year-old college student running over the mountains of western Montana. For decades I pounded my body into the ground, pushed beyond what I thought were my limits of pain, and accomplished running adventures that few ever dream of and fewer ever accomplish. I don't write that with a boastful attitude, but actually an attitude that is grateful and humble for never fully realizing what I had actually accomplished until I retired from the sport in 2016.
Completing any distance beyond the marathon is a unique test of all aspects of a runner's mental, physical, and sometimes spiritual abilities. It makes you dig deeper into yourself than you ever imagined. Regardless of your age, you will learn something about yourself by attempting to conquer a distance beyond the marathon. It will strip you down to your core and reveal to you what you have inside of you at the deepest level. I believe that participation in ultramarathon running will continue to rise as more participants share their experiences via social media. I wish everyone who takes on the quest the very best, and may you never lose sight of what is revealed to you in the process.
From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),
Paul J. Staso
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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek
Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:
- United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
- Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
- Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
- Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
- The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
- Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
- Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
- Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
- Some Cycling Moments From The Past
