As others have mentioned... have you done it? why do you care? is it the terminology? (and yes, many threads here have already bashed ultra). As someone who has run both track/xc/roads and trail/ultra, I hope I have some learned some perspective for both sides of the proverbial tracks. High school track/xc has performances as varied as most ultras. I pray we aren't bashing those kids whose potential life lessons include exploring an active lifestyle, teamwork, community, camaraderie, and maybe even lifelong friends. Such is the heartbeat of most successful teams, and of healthy ultra 'communities'.
Competitive track implies that walking and running are separate activities. Ultra reminds us that one is largely an expansion or contraction of the other. As I age I am beginning to appreciate the judicious application of the walk/run method. Apparently even elite runners do too: intervals, anyone? Navigating ultras, particularly under adverse conditions, is often an exercise in applying the same principles.
In track races, I never gave thought to taking in fluid or calories. When I moved to marathons and later ultras, I (too slowly) learned that neglecting nutrition usually has trainwreck results.
For contrast, there's definitely the opportunity to lose the forest for the trees, in any discipline. I certainly have.
And..... in a world that seemingly moves at the speed of sound, there's something almost spiritual about the wacky freedom to run/hike/walk in diverse settings- whether it be deserted streets at 4am, vertical kilometers on a rugged trail, forest, mountain, prairie, tundra, or 250km per week in a foreign country.
I am grateful for the people I have met on both sides of that imaginary track, especially when I seemed hellbent on derailing.