The ultramarathon is often thought of as the ultimate test of human endurance. While races vary in length, completing any form of ultra is an impressive achievement.

We’re going to explore the world of Ultra Running, asking what is ultrarunning, why has the sport seen such an increase in popularity, and what are the best ultra running events?

What is Ultra Running?

As previously mentioned, an Ultramarathon is any race over 26.2 miles meaning they vary somewhat in length. Some common ultra distances are:

• 50K- Only 5 miles more than a regular Marathon, the 50K race is the shortest common Ultra length.
• 50 Miles
• 100 Miles
• 24 Hour- Some races are timed rather than being a fixed distance. These are usually run in a small loop course making refuelling easier as your gear will never be far away and doesn’t always need to be carried.

Road vs Trail:

There are two main categories of Ultramarathon race, road and trail. Road races as you can probably guess take place on a paved surface, like a road. Trail races are off-road and come with the added challenge of uneven and sometimes unpredictable terrain.

As well as terrain, other differences between the two include:

• Aid stations- In a road race aid stations tend to be more frequent than on the trail due to access issues in remote locations.
• Pace/intensity- Road races can be intense, especially with an audience, and there’s often way more focus on finish time. Trail races tend to be more laid back and about enjoying the journey and taking in your surroundings.

Other endurance events:

Ultrarunning isn’t the only endurance event out there these days, other endurance events include:

• Ultra cycling
• Long-distance swimming
• Adventure Racing
• Ski Mountaineering

Increased Popularity of Ultra Running

Does it feel like every other weekend somebody you know is running a marathon? Well, endurance sports have seen a huge increase in popularity in recent years.

For a long time, endurance running seemed like an elite club to many amateur runners, but recent trends have shown a huge shift in the people who are taking part in these events.

In particular, there has been a massive increase in those looking to take on Ultra events. The popularity of Ultra running is currently at an all time high and shows no signs of decline anytime soon. But what’s caused this?

The increase in amateur runners taking on endurance and ultra running events could be down to a variety of factors.

Post Covid running boom.

It’s no secret that during and post Covid running saw an enormous increase in popularity, as did interest in health and fitness in general.

Four years later many of these covid runners have a couple of Marathons under their belts and are looking for the next challenge. For those who are keen to keep pushing themselves the ultramarathon presents the perfect opportunity to take things to the next level.

Increased Awareness

Thanks to an increase in popularity, more people are now aware of the ultramarathons existence.

Ultra running has also received a lot of attention in the media recently, allowing it to reach and inspire those even outside of the running community.

Increased Accessibility

With increased awareness comes increased accessibility. Thanks to social media, more people can share their experiences around ultra running, creating more accessible information for those who otherwise might not know where to look.

Social media also allows amateurs to access a global community of runners to inspire them in their running journeys.

Ultra/Trail Running in the News & Media.

Increased awareness of Ultra Running can partly be put down to recent news and media coverage of the sport.

Jasmin Paris finishes the 2024 Barkley Marathons.

In March 2024 Jasmin Paris became the first woman to ever complete the Barkley Marathons. The event which has been taking place since 1986, covers 100 miles and must be completed in 60 hours.

In its history the race has only been completed 26 times by 20 runners, so understandably Jasmins incredible achievement received a lot of media attention.

Russ Cook runs the length of Africa.

Russ Cook, also known as ‘Hardest Geezer’, is an ultrarunner who in April 2024 became the first person ever to run the entire length of Africa.

Cook ran almost 10,000 miles in 352 days, capturing the attention of millions online.

Calls for Trail running to become an Olympic event.

Recently there have been calls for trail running to become an event at the 2032 Olympic Games. In April 2024 a group of UK runners set out to run from London to Paris as part of their campaign for the inclusion of trail running at the Olympics.

Best Ultra Running Events

There are now hundreds of Ultramarathon events taking place each year in the UK alone, with thousands more across the globe. Here are a few of the races we think you should know about in the UK and beyond.

UK Ultra Races:

Spine Race

268 Miles in length the Spine Race follows the Pennine way from Derbyshire to the Scottish boarder. The race has a 168 hour cut off time but average finish time is around 143 hours.

Where: Pennine Way

Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB

Ultra-Trail Snowdonia race is the only UK race organised by UTMB. Taking place in the rugged but beautiful setting of the Snowdonia National Park, the race covers distances from 25K- 100 Miles.

Where: Snowdonia, Wales

Maverick Jurassic 100K

As the name would suggest, the Jurassic 100K covers 100km of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, beautiful coastline and rolling hills make this one worth entering.

Where: Isle Of Purbeck, Dorset

The Rest of the World:

Fire & Ice Ultra

Branded as Iceland’s toughest foot race, the Fire & Ice Ultra provides a unique opportunity for participants to complete a tough but beautiful 250K in one of the worlds most remote locations.

Where: Iceland

Madeira Island Ultra Trail

This unique event sees participants complete the length of the island of Madeira, 115K.

Where: Madeira

Barkley Marathons

Possibly the toughest race in the world, only 20 people have ever completed the Barkley Marathons. Covering 100miles the race has a 60 hour cut off time.

Where: Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, USA

Related Articles:

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Answering the Top Googled Ultra Marathon Questions

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