BORN TO RUN
Gone are the days when running a marathon earned you bragging rights for life. Today, every man and his dog seems to be entering one for charity, so for those with a hankering for extreme sport, the humble marathon has stepped up a gear with the emergence of the‘ ultra-marathon’ sweeping the world of supreme fitness.
From desert to jungles to Himalayan peaks, ultra-marathons push the body to its limits and then some. Ran over some of the world’ s most treacherous terrains, ultra-marathons are about exploring boundaries physically and mentally so it’ s surprising how this extreme sport has grown in numbers over the past decade.
The origins of the sport can apparently be traced back to tribes such as the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico but in the modern world the ultra-marathon, which is technically a marathon which exceeds the standard 26.2miles, began over 30 years ago with the Marathon des Sables( MDS), classed as the“ toughest footrace on earth” it sees competitors run the equivalent of 6 marathons over six days in one of the world’ s most inhospitable environments where temperatures regularly reach 50 ° C.
At the other end of the spectrum is the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra, the world’ s coldest ultra-marathon. Set in the wilderness of Whitehorse, Canada where temperatures often plummet to well below-50 ° C the ultra follows the course of the Yukon quest trail, a tough dog sled race. Raced over 3 disciplines of 430 miles, 300 miles or 100 miles the Yukon Artic combines elements of mountain biking, cross-country skiing and a running race and is often quoted as being the“ harshest race known to man.”
Just as scaling Mount Everest has become big business so too has the ultra-marathon. Each year thousands flock to the events, all for the privilege of putting themselves through untold measures of physical and mental torture.
Surprisingly, many consider ultra-marathons to be easier thanstandard marathons, and one would assume that it’ s because they take place on a more varied terrain and that the challenge of competing and completing the race, rather than finishing it as fast as possible, is the driving force.
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