I was first introduced to the concept of ultramarathons
when I read Born To Run in 2011. If you haven’t read this book it is a great
story, and it will motivate you to get your ass off the couch! More recently I have been inspired by the new
television show Boundless, which got
me thinking, what does it take to successfully complete an ultra.
A marathon is 42.195km in length. Anything further than a marathon is considered
an ultramarathon. Typically the
distances are 50km, 100km, 50 miles and 100miles, but there are many variations
with some races going beyond 100miles.
Whenever I hear “ultra” my mind immediately thinks “repetitive strain”
and the injuries that could result. But,
there seems to be a certain population of people that may be better suited for
this event, so let’s see if you fall into this category.
A study done in the Journal of Sports Physiology and
Performance, in 2012, looked at what key characteristics would make you more
successful in completing one of these gruelling events.
Gender:
It has been theorized that women may be better at
ultra-distances than their male counterparts. However, this theory does not
reflect the participants in 100mile races which ~80% are men and in 100km races
which ~13% are women.
Age:
In marathoners and ultramarathoners the most successful
finishers both fall into the 40-49 year age category. The same does not hold true in regards to
peak performance. Elite-marathoners peak
around 30 years old. However, in
ultramarathoners peak running times were noted between 30-49 years in men and
between 30-54 years in women.
Training:
The distance traveled during a race is immense, and an ultramarathoner’s
training reflects that. On average they
cover more distance than marathoners, but less than elite-marathoners. Their pace however, is much slower than
marathon runners.
Previous Experience:
Obviously you don’t jump off the couch and become an
ultra-racer. The obvious progression
would be work your way up in distance and this is reflected in the
statistics. Ultramarathons have a
significantly higher number of previously completed marathons than do recreational
marathoners. What is interesting is that
recreational marathoners average faster personal best marathon times than do
their ultramarathoner counterparts.
Finally experience plays a huge role in successfully finishing a 100mile
race. The researchers found that having
more years of ultra-running under your belt increase your odds of making it to
the finish line.
It is a big investment running and training for ultras. Most runners are intrinsically motivated to
pursue a goal like this. Although it
seems certain people may fit the bill to become successful with this type of
racing, research is limited and this trend is bound to change with future studies. With that being said, I tip my hat to anyone
who has completed one of these events as it is a true test of mental toughness!
Have fun and stay healthy,
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