An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of 31 miles (50 km) and up to 3100 miles. World Championships are held by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) for 50 km, 100 km, 24 hours, and ultra Trail running. The Global Organization of Multi-Day Ultramarathoners (GOMU) holds World Championships for 48 hours and 6 days. World Records are ratified and recognized by World Athletics, the IAU, and by GOMU.
The Two Oceans Marathon is a 56 kilometres (35 mi) ultramarathon and 21 kilometres (13 mi) half-marathon held annually in Cape Town, South Africa on the Saturday of the Easter weekend.
Trail running is a type of running that takes place on outdoor trails, often in mountainous terrain, and often includes significant ascents and descents. Trail running is overseen by the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and includes longer races.
Oughterard is a small town on the banks of the Owenriff River close to the western shore of Lough Corrib in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. It is located about 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Galway on the N59 road. Oughterard is the chief angling centre on Lough Corrib.
Carraroe is a village in Connemara, the coastal Irish-speaking region (Gaeltacht) of County Galway, Ireland. It is known for its traditional fishing boats, the Galway Hookers. Its population is widely dispersed over the Carraroe peninsula between Cuan an Fhir Mhóir and Cuan Chasla. Carraroe has an unusual beach, Trá an Dóilín, a biogenic gravel beach made of coralline algae known as "maerl".
Dean Karnazes, is an American ultramarathon runner, and author of Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner, which details ultra endurance running for the general public.
Yiannis Kouros is a Greek ultramarathon runner based in Greece. He is sometimes given the epithets "Running god", "Pheidippides' Successor" or "Son of Pheidippides". Kouros holds many men's outdoor road world records from 100 to 1,000 miles and many road and track records from 12 hours to 6 days. In 1991, he starred as Pheidippides in the movie The Story of the Marathon: A Hero's Journey, which chronicles the history of marathon running.
Multiday races are ultramarathon running events which are typically either segmented into daily events of a specified distance or time, or staged so that runners can run as far as they want, at their own discretion, over a set course or over a set number of days. Multiday races can range from continuous 48-hour track events to staged transcontinental treks.
The Leadville Trail 100 Run is an ultramarathon held annually on rugged trails and dirt roads near Leadville, Colorado, through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. First run in 1983, the race course climbs and descends 15,600 feet (4,800 m), with elevations ranging from 9,200 to 12,620 feet. In most years, fewer than half the starters complete the race within the 30-hour time limit.
The Canberra Times Marathon Festival is an annual marathon held in the city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The marathon was established in 1976 and is the oldest city marathon in Australia. The marathon was initially held on November before being moved to April in 1979.
David Goggins is an American retired United States Navy SEAL. He is also an ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, triathlete, public speaker, author of two memoirs, and was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements in sport. Goggins was also awarded the VFW Americanism award in 2018 for his service in the United States Armed Forces. Goggins also published a New York Times Best Seller book titled Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds.
Amy Palmiero-Winters is a below-knee amputee who currently holds eleven world records in various events. In 2010, she was awarded the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States and the ESPN ESPY Award as the top female athlete with a disability in the world.
Paul Conroy is an Irish Gaelic footballer and teacher who plays at senior level for the Galway county team. Conroy was captain of the All-Ireland winning Minor team in 2007 when they narrowly defeated Derry. Conroy made his Senior championship debut against Roscommon and scored finished the game with a tally of 0–6.
Jacquelyn Camille Herron is an American ultramarathon runner, scientist, coach, public speaker, and a four-time International Ultrarunner of the Year.
The Ladakh Marathon is a marathon held in Leh, a town in the Indian Union Territory of Ladakh. It claims to be the highest marathon in the world, held at a height of 11,500 to 17,618 feet. The event's primary edition was held in 2012 and its latest edition was deferred to September 2022 due to COVID-19. In 2015 the marathon joined the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. It is the fifth marathon from India to receive international recognition.
Elisabet Barnes is a Swedish athlete specialized in ultrarunning. Her major claim to fame is winning the Marathon des Sables in 2015, winning each stage of the race. She repeated her win in 2017. The Marathon des Sables has been listed by Outside Magazine as one of the 9 toughest ultramarathons in the world. In 2015, she participated in six races, winning all and setting new course records in four.
Lill Maria Kotka is a Swedish athlete who specialized in ultrarunning.
Gerald Tabios is a Filipino long-distance runner and Ultramarathon runner. Among his most notable races in the United States is the Badwater Ultramarathon. This is an annual race that stretches 135 miles through Death Valley, California in July and ends after a steep climb of Mount Whitney. In the world of Ultramarathons this race, where temperatures often reach 130 °F, is frequently coined "The Toughest Foot Race in the World." Tabios is a 7-time Badwater 135 finisher.
Carol Morgan is an Irish ultrarunner, who specialises in non-stop mountain ultramarathons 100 km and longer, often in challenging conditions with significant ascents / descents. Born in Dublin in 1973, where she trained as a nurse, she is an advanced practitioner in emergency medicine. Morgan holds the course record for endurance ultra event, the Kerry Way Ultra.
Aurélia Truel is a French ultramarathon runner, who specialises in trail running. She came second at the 2013 IAU Trail World Championships in Llanrwst, Wales, and was part of teams that won the 2011, 2013 and 2016 Trail World Championship team events.
