Occasional Runner
Junyong Pak, the man who won in 2011 and 2012, effectively IS an ultrarunner, and you won't ever be able to convince me he isn't.
I'm convinced there's no record of him in Ultrasignup. For whatever that's worth...
I think that sounds like one big fat recipe for injury!!!!!
Despite the respectable distance, I think the obstacles would throw an ultra runner off. The obstacles require a lot of strength in a short time, which is not exactly what ultra running does. Ultra runners try to run efficiently, while obstacles destroy that plan. On top of this, I'd think upper body and arm strength both are needed for the obstacles, which is not what ultra runners (usually) work out for. ...
Despite the respectable distance, I think the obstacles would throw an ultra runner off. The obstacles require a lot of strength in a short time, which is not exactly what ultra running does. Ultra runners try to run efficiently, while obstacles destroy that plan. On top of this, I'd think upper body and arm strength both are needed for the obstacles, which is not what ultra runners (usually) work out for.
That's my assumption also, given the pics I've seen of some of the obstacles.
Obstacle races seem to be another aspect of running or a different sport altogether. A bit like steeple chase or old-fashioned xc with hay bales, etc BUT these obstacles tend to use upper body or motions that aren't a lot like running - well, maybe if you're crawling through briars up a steep slope.
Not all ultra races are in ultrasignup.
It may be that his running distances beyond 26.2 mi are just in training or in obstacle courses. IOW, he may not have completed any formal ultras with signup sheets, t-shirts, aid stations, whatever, but he does seem to have some experience, if informal, beyond 26.2mi, and seems to have a few road marathons, including 2:32:59 at Boston 2010 (I did check Boston results for it, and it's there). The Maniac Next Door. Also FB page
It's scary what one may find when googling or following FB pages. He grew up in same town I did and went to same hs. He was apparently top runner on cross country team. He's also FB friends with someone who friended me last year (the guy who just got into Spartan races, but he had done really well in some mtn races).
Reading his FB page I'm getting a better picture of why 90 miles in 24 hours is a great result: he's not only doing the obstacles, many of which require submersion in very cold water, but he's also running the entire distance in a wetsuit...
3/8 Way Too Cool 50k WNS
4/19 Tehama Wildflowers 50k
Of note, the female winner in 2012 came in just a few minutes behind Pak - that's Amelia Boone. She hasn't gotten near as much media attention as him. I don't know how much she runs.
My point in calling Pak an ultrarunner wasn't to suggest that he has finishes on Ultrasignup. I'm pretty sure Amelia Boone does NOT race strict ultras. My point was that I think he logs as many running miles as the best of us, and he runs them on trails. Then he does his obstacle and strength training on top of his running.
If the question is, could any mediocre ultrarunner give these two a run for their money? No. Nope. No way. But what about some of the elites? Well, a handful of really good ultrarunners have come up from the adventure racing circuit. Those folks could probably do pretty well at the World's Toughest Mudder, if they spent some time training for the obstacles.
Flip the question around - could Amelia Boone and Junyoung Pak get on the podium at an ultra? Yep. I think they could.
Of note, the female winner in 2012 came in just a few minutes behind Pak - that's Amelia Boone. She hasn't gotten near as much media attention as him. I don't know how much she runs. My point in calling Pak an ultrarunner wasn't to suggest that he has finishes on Ultrasignup. I'm pretty sure Amelia Boone does NOT race strict ultras. My point was that I think he logs as many running miles as the best of us, and he runs them on trails. Then he does his obstacle and strength training on top of his running. If the question is, could any mediocre ultrarunner give these two a run for their money? No. Nope. No way. But what about some of the elites? Well, a handful of really good ultrarunners have come up from the adventure racing circuit. Those folks could probably do pretty well at the World's Toughest Mudder, if they spent some time training for the obstacles. Flip the question around - could Amelia Boone and Junyoung Pak get on the podium at an ultra? Yep. I think they could.
I'm going to agree with most of this. Whether they could get top 3 would depend on race and who shows up in an ultra. Yea, they could probably win - or at least our top 3 - our RP50 (unless some of our national level runners from the past showed up). Pak has a marathon PR of 2:32, iirc, but some of the newer ultrarunners are pretty speedy at that distance also.
Looking at some of the obstacles, I couldn't even *do* them, let alone in combination with other stuff.
The guy from here who won Virginia Super has also won our Mt. Marathon (3.5mi, very competitive) and Alyeska Climbathon (10hr - 12laps to get just over 26.2 mi, so it counts as an ultra for those folks).. I'm not sure how he would do in a more normal ultra. He has stuff rigged up in his backyard for training. Both he and his wife have done the Spartans. Their kids do some of the mountain races and the older ones are probably on the xc teams.
Ben nephew's spartan beast report. Sorry dont know how to hotlink here.
http://team.inov-8.com/2013/10/04/spartan-ultra-beast-world-championship-ben-nephew/
Le professeur de trail
Ben nephew's spartan beast report. Sorry dont know how to hotlink here. http://team.inov-8.com/2013/10/04/spartan-ultra-beast-world-championship-ben-nephew/
Interesting. Doesn't interest me at all...but I have to say that Ben's description of that 50k course in Killington does interest me (sans the silly obstacles).
My favorite day of the week is RUNday
Thanks for posting this. Always interesting to read about different kinds of races. I'd have to get really serious about upper body training to have any hope of doing one of these.