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OutdoorTrail Running

Explainer | What is an ultramarathon, how far and on what terrain?

  • Ultra running is exploding in popularity around the world, but what actually constitutes ‘ultra’ in an ultramarathon?
  • The term covers a broad range of races, from mountains to road

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Ruth Croft dominates races around 50km and resists the urge to extend the distance until she’s ready. Photo: UTMB
Mark Agnew

Ultra running is fast becoming a mainstream sport. Once, it was the realm of a few crazy runners, and not the pastime of everyone from your boss to your neighbour. But what actually is an ultramarathon?

How long is an ultramarathon?

An ultramarathon is anything longer than a marathon, which is 26.2 miles (42.195km). So, you could complete a marathon and run back to your car and you’ve technically run an ultra distance.

Typically, ultramarathons start at 50km and go up from there. Standard distances are 50km, 100km and 161km (100 miles), the latter often being referred to as a “miler”.

A stage race over a few days is a popular ultra format. Photo: Agence France-Presse
A stage race over a few days is a popular ultra format. Photo: Agence France-Presse

While a marathon is never longer than 26.2 miles, ultras tend to vary a bit. For example, the Hong Kong 100 is in fact 103km. And the Ultra Marathon du Mont Blanc, a miler, is in fact 171km. Others are a bit shorter than advertised, too.

Aside from the above three types, there are ultra races of all sorts of distances and formats. As long as it’s more than a marathon, the distances and formats can be limitless.

An increasingly popular format is 250km split over stages, such as the Marathon Des Sables. Runners complete different distances each day, some less than an ultra, and sleep at night.
As the sport continues to grow, others try to push the boundaries – such as the 298km Hong Kong Four Trails Ultra Challenge, which is non-stop and has no support on the trails. Runners finish the distance in between around 48 and 70 hours.
Kilian Jornet is considered one of the best ultra mountain runners. Photo: Sergi Colomé
Kilian Jornet is considered one of the best ultra mountain runners. Photo: Sergi Colomé
The formats are becoming increasingly imaginative. A backyard ultra, for example, is around a 6.7km loop. The runners start on the hour every hour until there is just one runner left, so the distance is not set. It keeps going and going. Runners have gone on for more than 80 hours.
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