Ultramarathon

Ultramarathoners compete at the Sahara Race 2011 (4 Deserts)

An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi).

There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time (with the winner covering the most distance in that time). The most common distances are 50 kilometres (31.069 mi), 100 kilometres (62.137 mi), 50 miles (80.4672 km), and 100 miles (160.9344 km), although many races have other distances. The 100 kilometers is recognized as an official world record event by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the world governing body of track and field.^[1]

Other distances/times include double marathons, 24-hour races, and multiday races of 1,000 miles (1,600 km) or even longer. The format of these events and the courses vary, ranging from single or multiple loops (some as short as a 400-metre (1,300 ft) track),^[2] to point-to-point road or trail races, to cross-country rogaines. Many ultramarathons, especially trail challenges, have severe course obstacles, such as inclement weather, elevation change, or rugged terrain. Many of these races are run on dirt roads or mountain paths, though some are run on paved roads as well. Usually, there are aid stations every 20 to 35 kilometres (12 to 22 mi) apart, where runners can replenish food and drink supplies or take a short break. Timed events range from 6, 12, and 24 hours to 3, 6, and 10 days (known as multi-day events). Timed events are generally run on a track or a short road course, often one mile (1.6 km) or less.^[3]

The International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) organises the World Championships for various ultramarathon distances, including 50 kilometres (31 mi), 100 kilometres (62 mi), 24 hours, and ultra trail running, which are also recognized by the IAAF. Many countries around the world have their own ultrarunning organizations, often the national athletics federation of that country, or are sanctioned by such national athletics organizations. World records for distances, times, and ages are tracked by the IAU.

Racewalking events are usually 50 km, although 100 km and 100 mile (160 km) "Centurion" races are also organized. Furthermore, the non-competitive International Marching League event Nijmegen Four Days March has a regulation distance of 3 × 50 km over three days for men aged 19–49.^[4]

IAU World Best Performances

Men

Event	Record	Athlete	Date	Place	Ref
50 km Road	2:43:38	Thompson Magawana (RSA)	12 April 1988	Claremont, South Africa	[5]
50 km Track	2:48:06	Jeff Norman (GBR)	7 June 1980	Timperley, United Kingdom	[5]
100 km Road	6:13:33	Takahiro Sunada (JPN)	21 June 1998	Yubetsu-Saroma-Tokoro, Japan	[5]
100 km Track	6:10:20	Donald Ritchie (GBR)	28 Oct 1978	London, United Kingdom	[5]
100 miles Road	11:46:37	Yiannis Kouros (GRE)	7-8 Nov 1984	Queens, New York, USA	[5]
100 miles Track	11:28:03	Oleg Kharitonov (RUS)	20 Oct 2002	London, United Kingdom	[5]
100 miles Indoor	12:56:13	Donald Ritchie (GBR)	3-4 Feb 1990	Milton Keynes, United Kingdom	[5]
6H Road	92.188 km	Tomasz Chawawko (POL)	7 Mar 2004	Stein, Netherland	[5]
6H Track	97.200 km	Donald Ritchie (GBR)	28 Oct 1978	London, United Kingdom	[5]
6H Indoor	93.247 km	Denis Zhalybin (RUS)	7-8 Feb 2003	Moscow, Russia	[5]
12H Road	162.543 km	Yiannis Kouros (GRE)	7 Nov 1984	New York, USA	[5]
12H Track	163.600 km	Zach Bitter (USA)	14 Dec 2013	Phoenix, USA	[5]
12H Indoor	146.296 km	Ryoichi Sekiya (JPN)	11 Feb 2007	Lohja Citymarket, Finland	[5]
24H Road	290.221 km	Yiannis Kouros (GRE)	2–3 May 1998	Basel, Switzerland	[5]
24H Track	303.506 km	Yiannis Kouros (GRE)	4-5 Oct 1997	Adelaide, Australia	[5]
24H Indoor	257.576 km	Nikolai Safin (RUS)	27-28 Feb 1993	Podolsk, Russia	[5]
48H Road	433.095 km	Yiannis Kouros (GRE)	2–3 May 1998	Basel, Switzerland	[5]
48H Track	473.495 km	Yiannis Kouros (GRE)	3–5 May 1996	Surgeres, France	[5]
48H Indoor	426.178 km	Tony Mangan (IRL)	16 Mar 2007	Brno, Czech Republic	[5]

Women

Event	Record	Athlete	Date	Place	Ref
50 km Road	3:08:39	Frith Van Der Merwe (RSA)	25 March 1989	Claremont, South Africa	[5]
50 km Track	3:18:52	Carol Hunter-Rowe (GBR)	3 March 1996	Barry, Wales United Kingdom	[5]
100 km Road	6:33:11	Tomoe Abe (JPN)	25 June 2000	Yubetsu-Saroma-Tokoro, Japan	[5]
100 km Track	7:14:06	Norimi Sakurai (JPN)	27 Sept 2003	Lupatotissima, Italy	[5]
100 miles Road	13:47:41	Ann Trason (USA)	4 May 1991	Queens New York, USA	[5]
100 miles Track	14:11:26	Pam Smith (USA)	14 Dec 2013	Phoenix, USA	[6]
100 miles Indoor	14:43:40	Eleanor Robinson (GBR)	3-4 Feb 1990	Milton Keynes, United Kingdom	[5]
6H Road	82.838 km	Ricarda Botzon (GER)	7 July 2001	Kiel, Germany	[5]
6H Track	83.200 km	Norimi Sakurai (JPN)	27 Sept 2003	Lupatoto Verone, Italy	[5]
6H Indoor	80.600 km	Marina Bychkova (RUS)	7-8 Feb 2003	Moscow, Russia	[5]
12H Road	144.840 km	Ann Trason (USA)	4 May 1991	Queens New York, USA	[5]
12H Track	147.600 km	Ann Trason (USA)	3-4 Aug 1991	Hayward, USA	[5]
12H Indoor	135.799 km	Sumie Inagaki (JPN)	11 Feb 2007	Lohja Citymarket, Finland	[5]
24H Road	252.205 km	Mami Kudo (JPN)	11–12 May 2013	Steenbergen, Netherlands	[5]
24H Track	255.303 km	Mami Kudo(Kudou, Kudoh) (JPN)	9-10 Dec 2011	Soochow, Taipei	[5]
24H Indoor	240.631 km	Sumie Inagaki (JPN)	29-30 Jan 2011	Espoo, Finland	[5]
48H Road	368.687 km	Mami Kudo(Kudou, Kudoh) (JPN)	8-10 Apr 2011	Athens, Greece	[5]
48H Track	397.103 km	Sumie Inagaki (JPN)	21–23 May 2010	Surgeres, France	[5]
48H Indoor	390.024 km	Traci Falbo (USA)	4-6 Aug 2014	Anchorage, USA	[5]

IAU World Championships

There are four IAU World Championships: the IAU 100 km World Championships, IAU 50 km World Championships, IAU 24 Hour World Championship, and the IAU Trial World Championship.^[7]

The IAU 24 Hour World Championship is held annually. Originally begun as a track event in 2001, it was rebooted as a road event in 2003. It also incorporates the IAU 24 Hour European Championship.^[8]

IAU 100 km World Championships

Year	Location	Champion (m)	Champion (f)
1987	Torhout	Domingo Catalán (ESP)	Agnes Eberle (SWI)
1988	Santander	Domingo Catalán (ESP)	Ann Trason (USA)
1989	Rambouillet	Bruno Scelsi (FRA)	Katherina Janicke (West Germany)
1990	Duluth	Roland Vuillemenot (FRA)	Eleanor Adams (GBR)
1991	Faenza	Valmir Nuñes (BRA)	Eleanor Adams (GBR)
1992	Palamós	Konstantin Santalov (RUS)	Nurzia Bagmanova (RUS)
1993	Torhout	Konstantin Santalov (RUS)	Carolyn Hunter-Rowe (GBR)
1994	Yubetsu/Saroma/Tokoro	Aleksey Volgin (RUS)	Valentina Shatyeyeva (RUS)
1995	Winschoten	Valmir Nuñes (BRA)	Ann Trason (USA)
1996	Moscow	Konstantin Santalov (RUS)	Valentina Shatyeyeva (RUS)
1997	Winschoten	Sergey Yanenko (UKR)	Valentina Lyakhova (RUS)
1998	Shimanto	Grigoriy Murzin (RUS)	Carolyn Hunter-Rowe (GBR)
1999	Chavagnes-en-Paillers	Simon Pride (GBR)	Anna Balosáková (SVK)
2000	Winschoten	Pascal Fétizon (FRA)	Edit Bérces (HUN)
2001	Cléder	Yasufumi Mikami (JPN)	Yelvira Kolpakova (RUS)
2002	Torhout	Mario Fattore (ITA)	Tatyana Zhyrkova (RUS)
2003	Tainan	Mario Fattore (ITA)	Monica Casiraghi (ITA)
2004	Winschoten	Mario Ardemagni (ITA)	Tatyana Zhyrkova (RUS)
2005	Yubetsu/Saroma/Tokoro	Grigoriy Murzin (RUS)	Hiroko Sho (JPN)
2006	Misari	Yannick Djouadi (FRA)	Elizabeth Hawker (GBR)
2007	Winschoten	Shinichi Watanabe (JPN)	Norimi Sakurai (JPN)
2008	Rome	Giorgio Calcaterra (ITA)	Tatyana Zhirkova (RUS)
2009	Torhout	Yasukazu Miyazato (JPN)	Kami Semick (USA)
2010	Gibraltar	Shinji Nakadai (JPN)	Ellie Greenwood (GBR)
2011	Winschoten	Giorgio Calcaterra (ITA)	Marina Bychkova (RUS)
2012	Seregno	Giorgio Calcaterra (ITA)	Amy Sproston (USA)
2013	cancelled
2014	Doha	Max King (USA)	Ellie Greenwood (GBR)
2015	Winschoten	Jonas Buud (SWE)	Camille Herron (USA)

World or national-record holding or world-championship-winning ultramarathon runners

For reliable and updated information, see the IAU (International Association of Ultrarunners) annual report of current world records on its newest "World's Best Performances" page in "statistics".

• Yiannis Kouros, multi-day race legend, holder of numerous world records and world bests from 24 hours to 1,000 miles, course record holder of the Spartathlon since its inception in 1983^[1][9]
• Takahiro Sunada, current men's 100 km Road world record holder (6:13:33, Saroma JP, 1998)^[1][9]
• Tomoe Abe, current women's 100 km Road world record holder (6:33:11, Saroma JP, 2000)^[1][9]
• Ryōichi Sekiya, four time IAU 24-hour run World Championship winner, Asia record holder of 24-hour run (274.884 kilometres (170.805 mi)),^[9] two time winner of Spartathlon ^[10]
• Shingo Inoue, 2010 winner of IAU 24-hour run World Championship (273.708 kilometres (170.074 mi))^[9]
• Mami Kudo, current women's 24h Track world record holder(255.303 kilometres (158.638 mi), Soochow TPE, 2011),^[11] current women's 48h Road world record holder(368.687 kilometres (229.091 mi), Athens GRE, Apr 2011),^[12] 2013 female winner of IAU 24-hour run World Championship^[13]
• Sumie Inagaki, current women's 24h Indoor world record holder (240.631 kilometres (149.521 mi) Espoo FIN, Jan 2011),^[9] current women's 48h Track world record holder(397.103 kilometres (246.748 mi), Surgeres FRA, May 2010),^[9] two time female winner of IAU 24-hour run World Championship, two time female winner of Spartathlon ^[10]
• Norimi Sakurai, current women's 100 km Track world record holder (7:14:06, Lupatotissima ITA, Sep 2003),^[9] current women's 6H Track world record holder(83.200 kilometres (51.698 mi), Lupatoto Verone ITA, Sept 2003),^[9] 2007 female winner of IAU 24-hour run World Championship^[13]
• Suprabha Beckjord female and Wolfgang Schwerk male record holder 3100 mile Race ^[14]
• Edit Berces, 24 hour treadmill world record holder; holds several Hungarian records
• Ted Corbitt, "father of American ultrarunning"; 1952 US Olympic team member; former American world record holder at various distances
• Al Howie, World Record Holder for the trans-Canada, 7295.5 kilometres in 72 days, 10 hours and 23 minutes.
• Bruce Fordyce, nine time Comrades Marathon winner; African 100K record holder (6:25:07)
• Serge Girard, trans-USA (4,597 km – 1997), trans-South America (5,235 km – 2001), trans-Africa (8,295 km – 2003/2004) and trans-Eurasia (19,097 km – 2005/2006) record holder
• Wally Hayward, Multiple winner of Comrades Marathon, London to Brighton, many other ultramarathons; set early world records
• Bernd Heinrich, US 100 mile track record holder (12:27:01), naturalist
• Shaul Ladany, Israeli racewalker, world record holder in the 50-mile walk, former world champion in the 100-kilometer walk^[15][16]
• Frith van der Merwe, set Comrades Marathon records for both directions
• Stu Mittleman, US record holder for six-day race (578 miles)
• Arthur F. H. Newton, 5 times Comrades Marathon winner
• Ann Trason, thirteen time Western States Endurance Run winner and former female course record holder; holds numerous world records, including 100 mile (13:47:41 1991), 50 mile (5:40:18, 1991), and 12 Hours (147.6k, 1991); American 100k record holder (7:00:48)
• Cliff Young, former winner Westfield Sydney to Melbourne; holds numerous world age records
• Robert Young Marathon Man UK, 2015 winner Trans-American 3100-mile Footrace from LA to Washington.^[17][18] He also ran 373.75 miles (601.49 km) in 88 hours and 17 minutes without sleep in July 2015
• Arun Bhardwaj, first Indian to compete in and win the George Archer 6 day race in South Africa, completed a 4,000+ km run from Kargil, India to Kanyakumari, India, in 61 days.
• Connie Gardner, American Record Holder in the 24 hour event (149.368 miles (240.384 km))

Ultra Marathons by Regions

Ultra Marathons are run around the world with more than 70,000 people completing them every year.

Africa

Several ultra distance events are held in Africa.

• South Africa hosts a number of notable ultra marathon events.
  • On paved surface: the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon, the 87 kilometres (54 mi) Comrades Marathon. Approximately 12,000 runners complete the Comrades each year, out of approximately 17000 who start, with 23,961 competing in 2000.^[19]
  • The 56-kilometre (35 mi) Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town in the southern autumn attracts approximately 11,000 runners.
  • The Washie 100 road race is the oldest one hundred miler road race in Africa.
  • Off road: The Salomon Sky Run is a grueling 100 kilometres (62 mi) self supported, unmarked trail race held in a particularly scenic part of the country.
• The Marathon des Sables is a 6-day stage race which covers 250 kilometres (160 mi) through the Sahara desert in Morocco. The Sahara Race in Egypt, part of the 4 Deserts series, is held annually with about 150 competitors from 30 countries competing. There is also an ultramarathon of 250 kilometres (160 mi) across the Namib Desert.
• The Grand Raid de la Réunion is held annually on Réunion in October, crossing the island over 163 kilometres (101 mi) with an altitude gain of 9,643 metres (31,637 ft). This race attracts 2,350 competitors, with 1,000 runners from overseas.

Asia

Ultrarunning has become popular in Asia recently, and countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have hosted IAU World Championships.

• Japan had its first 100 km event in 1987 as Lake Saroma Ultramarathon and hosted IAU 100 km World Championship in 1994 (Lake Saroma), 1998 (River Shimanto) and 2005 (Lake Saroma).^[20] Japan hosts more than 50 ultramarathon events throughout the year,^[21] among which are Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR) (415 kilometres (258 mi) with more than 26,000 metres (16 mi) cumulative altitude gain crossing Japan Alps, crossing Japan's mainland from Japan Sea to Pacific Ocean in 7 days),^[22][23] Hasetsune cup (71.5 kilometres (44.4 mi) in steep foggy mountains)^[24] and Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji (UTMF) (161 kilometres (100 mi) loop around World Heritage Mt. Fuji with cumulative altitude gain of about 9,000 metres (5.6 mi)).^[25][26]
• South Korea's first ultramarathon was held in 2000.
• The Gobi March in northwest China was China's first ultramarathon, first staged in 2003. The Gobi March is part of the 4 Deserts Race Series.^[27]
• India's first ultra marathon, the Bangalore Ultra was held in 2007.^[28][29] Since 2010, Indian Himalayas have hosted La Ultra – The High, a 333 km course crossing Khardung La, touted to be the world's highest motorable mountain pass.^[30]
• Soochow International 24H Ultra-Marathon is held since 1999 in Taipei, and is an official IAU-registered event.
• A night race called the Sundown Marathon has been held in Singapore annually since 2008, over a double marathon distance (84 km) up to 2010 and 100 km since then.^[31]
• Nepal hosts several ultramarathon races,^[32] including the Annapurna 100, the Kanchenjunga Ultra Marathon Trail Running Race ^[33] and the Everest Ultra.^[34]
• Northern Mongolia hosts an annual 100 km summer race, Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset.^[35]
• Malaysia's first ultra trail marathon was founded in November 2011 and is known as the TMBT (The Most Beautiful Thing) in Sabah at Mount Kinabalu, South East Asia's highest mountain. The event has a 55% drop out rate and is a 3-point qualifying race for Ultra Du Mont Blanc and a 2-point qualifying race for the 55 kilometer category of the event. This was followed by the Beaufort Ultra Marathon in Sabah organized in 2012 and a 60 kilometer endurance run under 35-39 degree Celsius morning and afternoon heat with a 60% finish rate amongst runners.^[36] First 100 miles ultra marathon road race, Putrajaya 100 Miles, was held on 22–23 November 2014. The first 200 km ultra will be held on 6–8 March 2015 in Titi, Selangor (TITI100). Other ultra races such as Back2Endurance, G5N, and Gunung Nuang Ultra were organized by the Malaysia Ultra Running (My Ultra Running).
• Indonesia's first ultramarathon race, Mount Rinjani Ultra (52K), was held on August 2013 and Indonesia's first 100K & 160K ultramarathon race, Bromo Tengger Semeru 100 Ultra, was held on November 2013.
• In the Cebu, Philippines, Ultramarathons has gained quite a number of followers. An All-Women Ultra Marathon race covering a distance of 50 kilometers is held annually on the weekend of International Women's Day since 2012.^[37]
• In Israel, two major ultramarathon races are commenced annually - Mount to Valley relay race; over 215 km, from the hills of the Upper Galilee to the Jezreel Valley, and the Valley Circle race in the Jezreel valley; contains several distances, including 160 km and 200 km.

Oceania, Australia, and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand are hosts to some 100 organized ultramarathons each year. Additionally a handful of runners have run the entire length of New Zealand, a distance of around 2,200 kilometres (1,400 mi).^[38]

Australia

In Australia, the Westfield Ultra Marathon was an annual race between Sydney and Melbourne contested between 1983 and 1991. Greek runner Yiannis Kouros won the event five times during that period. Australia is also the home of one of the oldest six-day races in the world, the Cliff Young Australian 6-day race, held in Colac, Victoria. The race is held on a 400-meter circuit at the Memorial Square in the centre of Colac, and has seen many epic battles since its inception in 1984. The 20th Cliff Young Australian six-day race was held between 20 and 26 November 2005. During that event, Kouros beat his existing world record six-day track mark and set a new mark of 1,036.851 kilometres (644.269 mi). The Coast to Kosciuszko inaugurated in 2004, is a 246-kilometre (153 mi) marathon from the coast to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mountain.

Australia has seen a steep growth in Ultrarunning events and participants in recent years. Many new and challenging races have come into inception in the last few years alone, covering the whole spectrum of Ultramarathon distances from 50 km right through to multi-day events. The cornerstone of Australian Ultra events being such races as; The North Face 100, Bogong To Hotham, Alpine Challenge, and the Cradle Mountain Run.^[39] Australia's own Australian Ultra Runners Association (AURA) has a comprehensive list and links of events and their respective results.^[40]

New Zealand

Events by month and distance - these are the events that you can enter as a solo runner

New Zealand's first ultramarathon called The Kepler Challenge was held on a 60 kilometres (37 mi) trail through Fiordland National Park, which has been running since 1988 and is one of the country's most popular races. New Zealand's Northburn 100 ultra mountain run is the first 100-mile (160 km) race through the Northburn Station. The world famous Te Houtaewa Challenge has a 62 km race on ninety mile beach, Northland. The filed of international and local runners have to contend with rising tides and soft beach sand and the March race dates often means the race is run in the cyclone season. In 2014 the ultramarathon was postponed because of Cyclone Lucy. In 2016 the race will be in its jubilee and the 25th anniversary will see many of its famous past runners compete for the honour of the ultimate challenge winner.

In November 2012, Kim Allan planned to run and/or walk 500 kilometres (310 mi) nonstop, without sleep, on the Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile track at the Auckland Domain. Her aim was to beat ultrarunner Pam Reed's record of 300 miles (480 km).^[41] According to her Facebook page, she only managed 385.8 kilometres (239.7 mi).^[42] She eventually passed the 500 kilometre mark at 86 hours, 11 minutes, and 9 seconds, breaking the 486 kilometres (302 mi) women's record.^[43]

In April 2013, a Feilding man, Perry Newburn, set a new New Zealand record by running 483 kilometres (300 mi) without sleep at Feilding's Manfield Park.^[44]

Ultramarathon running in New Zealand has a national body the New Zealand Ultrarunners Association

Oceania

Papua New Guinea has the Kokoda Challenge Race, an annual 96 km endurance race held in late August that runs the length of the historic Kokoda Track.^[45]

Papua New Guinea also has the The Great Kokoda Race, a multi-stage 96 km (3 day) adventure race held in early July where competitors run or walk the length of the historic Kokoda Track.^[46]

Europe

Ultrarunning is popular in Europe, and the sport can trace its origins here with early documentation of ultrarunners from Icelandic sagas, or even the antique Greece from where the idea of the Marathon, and the Spartathlon comes. The history of ultrarunners and walkers in the UK from the Victorian Era has also been documented. The IAU hosts annual European Championships for the 50 km, 100 km and 24 hours. There are over 300 ultramarathons held in Europe each year. Some of the largest events include:

• The Tor des Géants – a 330 km loop (including 24000 m total elevation gain) of the Aosta Valley in max 150 hours. The path follows the Alta Via 2 and Alta Via 1 footpaths of the Aosta Valley in Italy (these foothpaths are normally divided in resp. 14 and 17 daily stages).
• The JOGLE Ultra – 1375 km (860 miles) over 16 days from John o'Groats to Lands End, Scotland/Wales/England – UK
• The Swiss Alpine Marathon 78 km, from Davos, Switzerland.
• The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc which consists of a 168 km loop around Mont Blanc including 9600 m total elevation gain.^[47]
• The ehunmilak Ultra-Trail, featuring a 168 km loop in the Goierri region of the Basque Country, and a 11000 m of cumulative elevation gain. It is held every year in the second weekend of July.^[48]
• The Magredi Mountain Trail 100 mi loop through the southern Italian Dolomites which includes over 9,000 m of total elevation gain. The race starts and finishes in Vivaro, Italy.
• The Mountaineering Marathon on Fruška Gora with 19 different trails Ultra extreme trail with 125 km loop through the Fruska gora mountain which includes over 5,600 m of total elevation gain is UTMB qualifying race with 4 points. The race starts and finishes in Popovica, Novi Sad, Serbia with first edition in 1978. year.
• The 100 km del Passatore Florence – Faenza Italy
• Persenk Ultra, 132 km with 5330 m elevation gain in the Bulgarian part of Rhodope mountain
• The Strasimeno ultramarathon, Castiglione del Lago Italy
• The Bucegi 7500 Marathon, with its first edition in 2009, is the toughest competition in Romania. Held annually in Bucegi Mountains of the Southern Carpathians, the race stretches for 90 km over harsh terrain, comprising a total 7500 meters elevation gain.
• The 12+24 h Race from Basel, Switzerland.
• The Biel running days, Switzerland.
• Sudecka Setka – 100 km in the Polish Sudetes.
• The 72.7 km Rennsteiglauf in the Thuringian Forest, Germany.
• The 230 km Al Andalus Ultimate Trail is a stage race over five days in the July sun and heat of the Granada province, Andalucia, Spain.
• The Ultima Frontera Trail Race is an ultra festival including 55 km, 83 km and 166 km in the Andalusian mountains, Granada province, Andalucia, Spain.
• The Lakeland 100 (UTLD) which has a circular route encompassing much of the Lakeland fell area, including in the region of 6300m of ascent and consisting entirely of public bridleways and footpaths.
• The ULTRArace.100 which has a circular route of 100 miles of road in The Cotswold Hills with an overall ascent of 2248m.
• The second oldest ultramarathon in the world, London to Brighton, was widely considered to be among the most prestigious titles until its retirement in 2005. As of 2008^[49] has been recaptured as a trail run.
• Day Runners – Athens International Ultramarathon Festival (24h, 48h, 72h, 6days, 1000k, 1000m)
• The Rodopi Ultra Trail is a unique 100 mile adventure trail race, with only 6 aid stations, the first in Greece. The route wanders the vast forest of the Rhodope mountain range, one of the largest unpopulated wilderness areas in Europe.^[50]
• Velebit 100 – Velebit, Croatia.
• Vitosha 100 is a traditional ultramarathon with 100 km trail in Vitosha mountain, just above Bulgarian capital city of Sofia. The race includes running, cycling or combination - 100 km running + 100 cycling.
• TransGranCanaria 125 km race with 8500m ascent/descent in Gran Canaria, Spain.
• Transvulcania - La Palma, Spain
• Lapland Ultra – Adak, Lapland, Sweden. 100 km loop in the land of the midnight sun.
• The European Ultramarathon Cup (ECU) is an annual series covering several of the biggest races in different European countries.
• An extreme challenge in Germany is the annual multiday Deutschlandlauf (Germany Run) over 1200 km.
• In Portugal, the "Ultramaratona das Areias" race covers 43 kilometres on the sand of southern beaches under the blazing sun of summer.
• The Madeira Island Ultra Trail is a challenge of 115 km over the mountainous terrain of Madeira Island.
• In southern Spain, the "La Legión 101 km en 24 Horas" is a popular ultramarathon in and around the Andalucian town of Ronda in the province of Malaga. The race in May is organized and supported by the Spanish Foreign Legion.
• In Greece, Spartathlon is held every last weekend of September since 1983. It's a non-stop historic ultra-distance foot race covering 246 km from Athens to Sparta in less than 36 hours. It's considered one of the most difficult ultramarathon races due to the weather conditions encountered by the runners (heat and humidity during the day and cold during the night hours) and the non-stop profile of the race. Only 1/3 of the runners reach Sparta.

Antarctica

Due to logistics and environmental concerns there are only a handful of ultramarathons held in Antarctica, and travel costs can mean entrance fees as high as $14,000.^[51] Ultramarathons in Antarctica include: The Last Desert, a multi-stage footrace, and the Antarctic Ice Marathon – a marathon and 100-kilometer race.

North America

There are several hundred ultramarathons held annually in North America. One of the most popular is the Western States Endurance Run, the world's oldest 100-mile trail run. The race began unofficially in 1974, when local horseman Gordy Ainsleigh's horse for the 100-mile Tevis Cup horse race came up lame. He decided to travel the course on foot, finishing in 23 hours and 47 minutes.

One of the first documented ultramarathons in North America was held in 1926, and at the time was part of the Central American Games. Tomas Zafiro and Leoncio San Miguel, both Tarahumara Indians, ran 100 km from Pachuca to Mexico City in 9 hours and 37 minutes. At the time, the Mexican government petitioned to include a 100 km race in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam; however, nothing came of these efforts.

100 Mile Footraces in the Contiguous United States, 2011

In 1928, sports agent C. C. Pyle organized the first of two editions of the 3,455-mile-long Bunion Derby (the first went along U.S. Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago before heading toward New York; the 1929 Derby reversed the route). Neither the race nor the accompanying vaudeville show was a financial success.

Since 1997, runners have been competing in the Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race, which is billed as the longest official footrace in the world. They run 100 laps a day for up to 50 days around a single block in Queens, NY, for a total distance of 3,100 miles (5,000 km).^[14] The Latest Trans-American Footrace (2015) winner was Robert HP Young (Marathon Man UK) Winning in a time of 482 hours 10 minutes 00 seconds ^[17]

In April 2006, the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame was established by the American Ultrarunning Association (AUA). Candidates for the Hall of Fame are chosen from the 'modern era' of American ultras, beginning with the New York Road Runners Club 30 Mile race held in 1958. The Inaugural inductees were Ted Corbitt, a former US Olympian, winner of the aforementioned race in 3:04:13, and co-founder of the Road Runners Club of America, and Sandra Kiddy, who kicked off her ultra career at age 42 with a world record at 50 kilometers, 3:36:56, and who went on to set a string of US and world ultra records.

South America

There are few ultramarathons in South America, but the sport is getting more popular every day. The Brazil 135 Ultramarathon is a single-stage race of 135 miles ( 217 km) with a 60-hour cutoff, held in Brazil. This is a Badwater "sister race".^[52] Several ultramarathons are held in Chile and the activity is becoming more popular among Chileans.^[53] Ultramarathons held in Chile include:

• The Endurance Challenge, a 10K, 21K, 50K and 80K trail running race held in the Andes mountain range near Santiago. It is part of the global Endurance Challenge circuit. The race seeks to promote the sport, outdoor activity and the use of mountain trails, taking care to have the lowest impact possible on the environment.
• The Lican Ray-Villarrica Ultramarathon, a 70 km marathon that starts in Lican Ray, climbs Villarrica Volcano and ends in downtown Villarrica.
• The Atacama Crossing, a 250 km (155 mile) ultramarathon which takes place in the Atacama desert, around San Pedro de Atacama, Chile^[54] and crosses through the driest place on earth.

There are six stages in seven days, with almost four marathons run in the first four days, then a 74 km stretch, then a rest day and a final stage of 11 km. It is part of the 4 Deserts Series, which, as the name suggests, is a desert race series.^[55] The Atacama Crossing take place in terrain that is rarely flat underfoot, with a harsh climate and an altitude that averages 2500 m (8000 ft). The race uses the town of San Pedro de Atacama as its host town, and in 2012 the race began at its highest point of over 3,000m in the Arcoiris Valley.

View from the Atacama Crossing 2011.

• The Patagonian International Marathon, take place in Torres del Paine National Park, southern Chilean Patagonia. The event features four race distances: an ultramarathon (63 km), marathon (42 km), half marathon (21 km) and a 10K. Each distance has a different starting point, but everyone finishes in the same place.^[56]

The event, organized by NIGSA, aims to promote the conservation of Chilean Patagonia and contribute to the sustainable development of the region. For each runner, a tree will be planted in the Torres del Paine National Park through the "Corre y Reforesta" (Run and Reforest) campaign^[57] run by the organization "Reforestemos Patagonia" (Let’s Reforest Patagonia)^[58] which aims to raise awareness of the importance of preserving these areas and contribute to the reforestation of native trees in Chilean Patagonia.

• The Rapa Nui GrandTrail, an 80k ultramarathon that takes place on Easter Island, Valparaíso Region, Chile. This exotic trail, far out in the Pacific Ocean, takes in the famous Moai statues of the island.^[59]

List of ultramarathons

This is only a partial list of events. For a full list, see Ultramarathon Running's Calendar and local countries' ultrarunning websites.

Road and dirt paths

Location	Name
Canada	Deer Lake 67
Philippines	All Women Ultra Marathon
Philippines	Bataan Death March Ultra marathon
Germany	Berlin 100 Miles
Switzerland	Biel/Bienne 100 km
South Africa	Washie 100
Australia	Coast to Kosciuszko
South Africa	Comrades Marathon
Singapore	Craze Ultra 100 Miles
United Kingdom	Dartmoor Discovery
Canada	Tynehead 5, 8 and 12 Hour Races
United States	FANS 6, 12, 24 Hour Races Fort Snelling State Park / Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN
United Kingdom	Grand Union Canal 145 mile Race
United States	Graveyard 100
Canada	Whistler 50 Relay and Ultra
United States	JFK 50 Mile
United States	Keys 100
Japan	Lake Saroma Ultramarathon 100 km / 50 km [60]
United Kingdom	London to Brighton
United Kingdom	Marlborough Downs Challenge
Japan	Miyakojima Ultra Marathon 100 km etc.
Italy	100km del Passatore
Japan	River Shimanto Ultramarathon 100 km / 60 km[61]
Netherlands	RUN Winschoten, Netherlands
Italy	Strasimeno
Greece	Spartathlon
Singapore	Sundown Ultra Marathon Singapore 100 km
India	The Taj Mahal Marathon 222k Ultra
South Africa	Two Oceans Marathon
United States	TW 50k Ultra
Japan	Trans Okinawa Foot Race 353 km/292 km
Brazil	100km Volta ao Lago Caixa (website in Portuguese)
Lithuania	Ultramarathon Baltic cup 100 km
United States	Way Too Cool 50 Kilometer
India	Bangalore Ultra
Malaysia	Putrajaya 100 Miles, Watergate 16 Hours

Track Ultramarathons

Location	Name
United Kingdom	Barry 40
Canada	Self-Transcendence 24 Hour Race Ottawa

Mountain and trails

Location	Name
South Africa	Addo Elephant Trail Run
Vietnam	Vietnam Mountain Marathon
Australia	Alpine Challenge
Nepal	Annapurna 100
United States	American River 50 Mile Endurance Run
United States	Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run
Canada	Arc'teryx Squamish 50
United States	Barkley Marathons
United States	Bear 100 Mile Endurance Run
United States	Bighorn Trail Run
Australia	Bogong to Hotham
United States	Bull Run Run 50 Mile
United States	Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run
Canada	Canadian Death Race
United States	Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run
United States	Chimera 100 Mile
Philippines	Clark-Miyamit Falls Trail Ultra
Australia	Cradle Mountain
United States	Elizabeth's Furnace Fat Ass 50K
United States	Evergreen Trail Runs
Nicaragua	Fuego y Agua 25k,50k,100K & Survival Run
United States	Grand Canyon Ultra Marathon
Réunion	Grand Raid de la Réunion
United States	Grindstone 100 Miler
Philippines	Hardcore Hundred Miles
United States	Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run
Japan	Hasetsune Cup 71.5 km
United States	HAT Run
Japan	Hida Takayama Ultra Marathon
United States	HUFF 50K Trail Run
United States	Hunter Gatherer Ultras & Survival Run
United States	Jackson County 50-50
United States	Javelina Jundred
United States	Kesugi Ridge Traverse
United States	Kettle Moraine 100 Endurance Runs
Papua New Guinea	Kokoda Challenge Race
Canada	Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run
Iceland	Laugavegur Ultramarathon
United States	Leadville Trail 100
United States	Lean Horse Ultramarathon
United States	Massanutten Mountain Trails 100
United Kingdom	Mourneway Ultra Marathon
United States	McNaughton Park Trail Runs
United States	Miwok 100K Trail Race
United States	The Mountain Ultra
United States	Mountain Masochist Trail Run
Japan	Muraoka Ultra Marathon 100 km/88 km/44 km
United Kingdom	North Downs way 50,100
United States	Oil Creek 100 Trail Runs - 50K, 50 & 100 miles
United States	Old Dominion 100 Miler
United States	Old Pueblo 50 Mile Endurance Run
Hong Kong	Oxfam Trailwalker
Australia
United States	Pillar Mountain Run, Kodiak, AK
United States	Pinhoti 100 Mile Endurance Run Alabama
Germany	Rennsteiglauf
United States	Resurrection Pass Ultra Trail Races
United States	Rio Del Lago
United States	Rocky Raccoon 100
Japan	Shin'etsu Five Mountains Trail 110km
United Kingdom	South Downs Way 100
Canada	Scorched Sole
Canada	Sinister 7 100 mile
United Kingdom	The Spine Race (268 miles along the Pennine Way
United States	StumpJump 50k
Switzerland	Swiss Alpine Marathon
Australia	The North Face 100
United Kingdom	Thames Path 100km
Japan	Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR) 415 km
United States	TransRockies Run, 6 stages, 125m
Japan	Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji 168 km / 88 km
France	Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc
Italy
Switzerland
Basque Country	ehunmilak Ultra-Trail
Serbia	Fruškogorski maraton - Ultra Extreme Marathon; 125,213 km; 5.611 D+; 4 UTMB points
United States	Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run
United States	Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run
United Kingdom	West Highland Way Race
United States	Western States Endurance Run
United States	Wickham Park Marathon, 50M, 100M, 200M
Malaysia	Borneo TMBT Ultra Trail Marathon 50K, 100K
Turkey	İznik Ultramarathon
Turkey	Lycian Way Ultramarathon
Turkey	TNF Cappadocia Ultramarathon
Japan	Yatsugatake (Mount Yatsuga) Nobeyama Highland 100km Ultra Marathon

Extreme conditions

Location	Name
Italy	Tor des Geants
Morocco	Marathon des Sables
Brazil	Jungle Marathon
Canada	6633 Ultra: The Arctic, Canada
United States	Badwater Ultramarathon
South Africa	Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon
United States	Arrowhead Winter Ultramarathon
Spain	Al Andalus Ultimate Trail
United States	Beast of Burden Winter and Summer 100 Miler "DoubleBuckle"
New Zealand	Northburn100
Finland	Rovaniemi 150 Arctic Winter Race
Finland	The Lapland Extreme Challenge Race, 900 kilometers (15 days)
Turkey	Runfire Cappadocia Ultramarathon
China	4 Deserts
Egypt
Chile
Antarctica

Very long events and multidays

Location	Name	Description
Canada	Bruce Trail	Ontario, Canada 800 kilometers in (10–15 days).
United States	The Bunion Derby	Los Angeles to New York 3,455 miles (3 months).
Hungary	Lake Balaton Supermarathon	195.4 km around Lake Balaton in 4 days
Hungary	Ultrabalaton	220 km around Lake Balaton
United States	Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race
United States	Self-Transcendence 6- & 10-day Race
Japan	Trans Japan Alps Race (TJAR)	415 km/7–8 days
Germany	Spreelauf
Europe	Trans Europe Foot Race
France	Paris-Colmar	450 km march (Racewalking).
France	Trans-Gaule
Australia	Big Red Run	6 days 250 km in the Simpson desert

International Trail Running Association (ITRA)

International Trail Running Association (ITRA)^[62] aims to give a voice to parties involved in trail running in order to promote its values, its diversity, the safety of races and the health of runners, as well as to further the development of trail running and ensure the coordination between the national and international bodies with an interest in the sport.

ITRA provides with a service of evaluation of the difficulty of an ultramarathon according to a number of criteria, such as the distance, the cumulative elevation gain, and the number of loops and stages. ITRA maitains a calendar of ultramarathon events.

Born to Run

In 2009, Christopher McDougall's book Born to Run was released. Written from both anthropological and scientific angles, this book is a story of an entire people of ultramarathoners. While other books had previously been written specifically about ultramarathons, McDougall made conclusions about humanity's roots in long distance running that were just controversial enough to excite the masses who had never heard of the sport. It quickly became a national bestseller and a Forbes and Washington Post book of the year, helping spread the idea of ultramarathons.

See also

• Beach Run
• Fell running
• Trail running
• Skyrunning
• Micah True
• Supernatural running

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ultramarathon.

• Ultramarathon at DMOZ
• ULTRAmarathonRunning.com Global Ultramarathon Races & Events Calendar
• RunUltra.co.uk Global Ultramarathon Races and Events Calendar with Runner Reviews
• theultramarathon.com Robert Orcutt's Ultrarunning Art Gallery
• http://www.ultrunr.com/ Ken Sayers Ultra running site - the web's number 1 site for Ultra running advice

Archives ultamarathon : http://www.ultramarathon.fr/

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