Can anyone run an ultra? (Read 1035 times)

 

 

Most races have very limited field sizes.  That's my only concern... it would be nearly impossible to get into races (it already is very hard to get into races like the Hardrock 100 and the Western States 100).  The forest service and/or BLM, etc usually sets very small (100-ish people) sized max field limits.

 

Plus trail runs on singletrack can get crowded very quickly.

i guess the practical concern is that the max numbers are SO much smaller than marathons out of necessity. couple hundred vs. 30,000. so it will just become harder and harder to get into races. 

This process has been happening for a while, and the result is not exactly what you suggest.

The "name" races with a lot of history are getting harder to enter. WS100, Miwok, JFK, whatever. They fill rapidly and turn people away; they have little incentive not to raise their entry fees as much as they want.

But at the same time there are lots of new races being added. PCTR and now NWTR and NWultras are little companies that put on a dozen races a year in my area. Mostly very reasonable prices, well run, low key and they very rarely fill up. There are also a number of fatass style races that grow so large as free events that they start to evolve into "real" races. 

So if you want to run a bunch of trail ultras and are willing to both plan ahead some times and to run non-famous races at other times, you can run all the races you want. If doing this turns you into a 6-hour 50 miler, you'll get invitations to the big events.

If you're a mid pack runner who wants to run WS100 (or a lot of other races) at the time most convenient to you, then you're out of luck. But then you'll never be invited to line up next to the Kenyans at the start of Boston either. Same thing really.

I've always had an ultra as my "holy grail".  I'm guessing that once I do a trail marathon, a 50k isn't that much of a stretch.  Now, maybe by doing "just" a 50k, I'd not have any street cred as an ultra runner but it gets one in a much smaller club among runners.

What's that prove?  Zip.  It's just something I want to do for me.  Just a box I'd like to check, personally.

If YOU want to do an ultra, put the time in and do it.  

TC

All right bitches gather round as THE KING OF BEASTS speaks, you might want to find a seat, this is going to be shocking.

You can do it.  BUT you have to want to, really, really want to.  You have to put in the miles, and miles, so that you form becomes better and you strengthen everything.  If you can run a marathon, you can run a marathon and then walk to the 50k mark. 

Sometimes, sometimes, shit does not go well, and you start the race throwing up, why… you don’t know why.  Sometimes it goes well, and you finish strong.  Sometimes you fall down, and on the way down tear everything in you right knee.  Sometimes you get pushed down by someone who is going to miss the cutoff going into Winfield and they don’t even say FU.   Sometimes you fall down and f your back beyond recognition.

Sometimes shit happens, but hopefully things well go well enough so there will be another one….

Before I find this inspiring, I have to know -- are you Tom or Jerry? 

Great Thread!

That little seed of wonder is starting to grow.

yes it is

It is what?  A growing seed of wonder or a great thread?

And how do you know?