by Brad Cunningham

Created on: September 21, 2008

The ultramarathon community was, up until recently, a small and cohesive group. They would often stage long races for small fields of runners who were content to run for the honour of wearing a belt buckle. Minimal support was given to the runners on the course as the race routes traversed some of the world's most unforgiving terrain. The runner was not in a race against his competitor, but rather he was competing against himself, the land, and the clock.

In recent years, the popularity of ultramarathons (or "ultras" as they are more commonly referred to) has grown exponentially. Partly due to the success of Dean Karnazes' North Face Endurance 50 (50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states) and his book "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner", ultramarathoning popularity has skyrocketed. Runners are looking for new challenges. Bored with the predictability and contrived nature of the marathon, many runners are looking to the ultramarathon for a tougher test of their abilities. The ultramarathon is the new marathon for these runners.

While an ultramarathon is simply any race that is longer than the standard marathon distance, there is nothing standard about an ultramarathon. Ultras occur on tracks, on the road, in mountains, and, in some cases, on snow. Some of the most famous ultras occur on the road the Badwater 135 miler, for example but most people will experience their first ultra in the trails.

Trail ultramarathoning provides a unique experience for the runner. Often set in mountains, they present not only the challenge of the distance but also of the terrain. The Leadville 100 miler, a famous ultra contested in Colorado annually since 1983, is not only run at altitudes between 9,200 feet and 12,620 feet, but it also features 15,600 feet of ascent and descent. As with many ultras, there is a time limit for this course 30 hours. In some races, if you cross the line after the time limit expires, you are disqualified and your name will not appear as an official finisher. In the case of the Leadville 100 miler, you will not receive the coveted Leadville Buckle.

The stated goal of some race directors is to make their course as challenging as possible for the participants. The Barkley 100 miler, hosted in Tennessee, has an astounding 52,900 feet of elevation gain and 52,900 feet of descent as runners complete a 20 mile loop five times. The Barkley has no aid stations and there are no course markings. Runners must follow a map and collect pages from nine

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