An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is a 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.
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.
The Western States Endurance Run, known commonly as the Western States 100 or Western States, is a 100.2-mile (161 km) ultramarathon that takes place on California's Sierra Nevada Mountains trails each year on the last full weekend of June. Western States is the oldest and one of the most competitive ultramarathons in the United States, and is administered by the nonprofit Western States Endurance Run Foundation.
The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is a mountain ultramarathon race, first held in 2003, that follows the route of the Tour du Mont Blanc. It has been regarded as the most competitive trail ultramarathon in the world.
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 Kettle Moraine 100 is an ultramarathon held annually in early June in Kettle Moraine State Forest near La Grange, WI. The event includes a 100-mile race, a 100km race, and a 38-mile night "fun run."
Ellie Greenwood is a British and Canadian ultramarathon runner. She is a four-time 100km World Champion, winning both individual and team titles in 2010 and 2014. She won the 90 km Comrades Marathon in South Africa in 2014, becoming the first British woman to win the race. Greenwood is also a former champion and course record holder for the Canadian Death Race, Western States 100, and the JFK 50 Mile Run.
Jacquelyn Camille Herron is an American ultramarathon runner and scientist born on December 25, 1981 in Norman, Oklahoma. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest Ultramarathon runners of all time.
Elizabeth Hawker is a British endurance athlete. Her career highlights include five wins at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), as well as the 2006 IAU 100 km World Championships. She is a former world record-holder at the 24 hour distance. She has also worked as an oceanographer and climate change researcher.
Kristin "Krissy" Moehl is an American ultramarathon athlete who specializes in trail running. In 2005, Moehl became the youngest woman to complete the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, which included a gold medal at the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run.
Alissa St Laurent is a Canadian ultramarathon runner. She began her ultra career in 2013 and has competed for the Canadian National team in 100km World Championships and the 2015 IAU Trail World Championships. She holds numerous course records, including those for the Sinister 7 100-mile and the Lost Soul 100-km ultramarathons. She received national attention after becoming the first female to win the 125-km Canadian Death Race outright in 2015 and her later comments in the media encouraging more women to take up competitive sports such as ultrarunning.
Sage Clifton Read Canaday is an American long-distance runner and ultramarathoner.
Kieren D'Souza is an Indian ultramarathon runner and endurance athlete. In 2016, he became the first Indian to qualify for and finish the Spartathlon, a 246 kilometre footrace from Athens to Sparta held annually in Greece. Kieren, then aged 23, completed the race in 33 hours, 2 minutes and 25 seconds, standing 85th among 370 participants. Up to 2016, only 29 athletes under the age of 25 had completed the race that has been held annually since 1983.
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.
Courtney Dauwalter is an American ultramarathon runner and former teacher. Widely regarded as one of the world's best trailrunners, Dauwalter became in 2023 the first person ever to win Western States 100, Hardrock 100 and the UTMB, three iconic 100-mile races, in the same year.
Jim Walmsley is an American long-distance runner. An ultra-trail specialist, his wins include the JFK 50 Mile in 2014, 2015 and 2016, the Lake Sonoma 50 in 2016 and 2018, the Tarawera Ultramarathon in 2017, and the Western States 100 in 2018, 2019, and 2021. He holds several course records, including the Western States 100, set in 2018 and further improved by 21 minutes in 2019. In 2023, he became the first American man to win the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc.
Jeremy Bragg is a British ultramarathon runner.
Zach Miller is a professional American ultramarathon runner.
Ruth Charlotte Croft is a New Zealand ultramarathon and trail runner. Croft was the silver medalist at the 2019 Trail World Championships. Her victories at major international races include the Tarawera Ultramarathon, Western States, and Ultra Trail Cape Town.
