Why "runners" hate ultrarunners?

Good question.

Now far do you have to run to avoid the competiton?....bascially that is what they are doing....if they cant win the competative races like the 10k 15k,and the marathon.......and so on....they just keep uping the ante until they have a better chance of winning!.....the question is?.....how far is far enough?....100 miles?...200miles?.....300 miles?.......after awhile it is crazy and senseless.....The marathon is far enough......

avoiditifucan wrote:

Now far do you have to run to avoid the competiton?....bascially that is what they are doing....if they cant win the competative races like the 10k 15k,and the marathon.......and so on....they just keep uping the ante until they have a better chance of winning!.....the question is?.....how far is far enough?....100 miles?...200miles?.....300 miles?.......after awhile it is crazy and senseless.....The marathon is far enough......

Good points but ultrarunning lacks depth. It's always the same guys running them. Jurek gets much undeserved attention. We need more runners like Matt Carpenter.

i don't think they hate them as much as they hate the triathletes, for whatever reason.

avoiditifucan wrote:

The marathon is far enough......

But why is the marathon far enough? What makes it so special? I'm not saying it's not far enough, I'm just curious what makes you think 100 miles isn't far enough.

It's always about pushing to a new level. But this weekend I need my first 100 miler and I has quite disappointed in the sense that many people were walkin and finished walking. It's called ultrarunning not ultrawalking...Or hiking!

I don't think "runners" hate ultra runners, but by claiming that they are mentally tougher, you're really asking for some hating. It's just that so many of them don't actually run. Like the above poster said, they walk, or shuffle at best. Then the media exposure they get paints them out as these extreme, talented bad asses, when they would get their s*** smoked in a shorter competitive race, any distance where you truly have to run fast. So call it a jealousy thing if you want, cuz Dean gets all sorts of attention and he's a putz, but I think some runners here are put off by the attention ultrarunners sometimes get, when all they really are is nuts, not talented. I don't want to take anything away from how tough it is to finish one of these, and the training that goes into it, but to call them "runners" is a stretch. At least the kind of running you do for a marathon on down and what you do for ultras is really a different sport all together. Maybe if people actually ran the entire duration of these things without stopping...

One of my old high school coaches is an ultra runner and I have all the respect in the world for him, I know it's a tough sport.

Hate is a pretty strong word. It's more like a lack of respect. I think a lot of it has to do with the relatively thin competition.

Imagine how things would change if the 100k became an Olympic event. Think of all the guys who would normally be training just to qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon, who would switch focus and run the 100k. It would totally change the sport. The quality of racing would improve at every certified 100k in the country.

That's why ultra runners get no respect. I mean, look at the people they're beating. Very few talented runners ever attempt anything longer than the marathon.

It is funny that you mention the Olympic Trials Marathon, because it is the easiest qualifier of any running event ... so don't go there. If the marathon standard were as tough as the 5 or 10, well ... I think you get the idea.

mr. woodman wrote:

Hate is a pretty strong word. It's more like a lack of respect. I think a lot of it has to do with the relatively thin competition.

Imagine how things would change if the 100k became an Olympic event. Think of all the guys who would normally be training just to qualify for the Olympic Trials Marathon, who would switch focus and run the 100k. It would totally change the sport. The quality of racing would improve at every certified 100k in the country.

That's why ultra runners get no respect. I mean, look at the people they're beating. Very few talented runners ever attempt anything longer than the marathon.

I don't think most ultramarathoners are trying to dodge competition. I think they love doing ultras because it's unique and, from what I hear, races like Hardrock and Leadville are beautiful and life-changing. What's a greater challenge than a race where it's not only an accomplishment to perform well, but an accomplishment to finish?

At 17, and a competitive high school runner (1:56 & 4:21), I can't wait to do Hardrock and Leadville.

I think most ultramarthoners do it because they love it. You won't find many people with more love for the sport than Stephanie Ehret and Ann Trason. And you won't find anyone more competitive, either.

Ann Trason has the WR at 100K. She ran 62 miles at a 6:40/mile clip. Would you rather she come down in distance and kick your ass? She ran a 35:00 10K in high school, not to mention her 2:36 marathon PR, and she doesn't even like the marathon.

There are 2 sports, running and jogging. Ultra marathons fall under the jogging category because its more about how FAR you can run than about how FAST. Joggers are like "I can run 5 miles without stopping, how far can you run?" Ultra marathoning is like the elite end of the sport of jogging. Real running is about how fast you can run a certain distance therefore it is a completely different sport to jogging including ultra marathons.

avoiditifucan wrote:

Now far do you have to run to avoid the competiton?

Over 400m if you are an american. You have one or two guys that are world class at races longer then a lap. Anyone who isn't a sprinter is avoiding competition.

The are very few real ultrarunners out there. Races like Hardrock and Barkely ultras become almost adventure races not running races. I understand the terrain makes it difficult to run, then they shouldn't be called endruance runs, they should be called adventure races. I've done ultras and road marathons...In ultras you will see so many people walking, because they are there to finish. In road marathons, no matter what people run or shuffle at the very least. I have seen overweight people haul major ass on a road marathon and in an ultra, thin people doing to much walking. I need a 100 miler this weekend, the back of the pack were walking and pretty much finished walking. It's a running event, not walking. I suggest all those who call themselves ultrarunners, better walk or go home.

The are very few real ultrarunners out there. Races like Hardrock and Barkely ultras become almost adventure races not running races. I understand the terrain makes it difficult to run, then they shouldn't be called endruance runs, they should be called adventure races. I've done ultras and road marathons...In ultras you will see so many people walking, because they are there to finish. In road marathons, no matter what people run or shuffle at the very least. I have seen overweight people haul major ass on a road marathon and in an ultra, thin people doing to much walking. I did a 100 miler this weekend, the back of the pack were walking and pretty much finished walking. It's a running event, not walking. I suggest all those who call themselves ultrarunners, better run or go home.

ytrewq wrote:

Over 400m if you are an american. You have one or two guys that are world class at races longer then a lap. Anyone who isn\'t a sprinter is avoiding competition.

that\'s not a valid point. some people are born to be sprinters and some people are born to be mid-distance runners, and some people are born to be distance runners. no one is born to be an ultrarunner. they\'re just distance runners who are avoiding the competition.

expert opinion wrote:

There are 2 sports, running and jogging. Ultra marathons fall under the jogging category because its more about how FAR you can run than about how FAST. Joggers are like "I can run 5 miles without stopping, how far can you run?" Ultra marathoning is like the elite end of the sport of jogging. Real running is about how fast you can run a certain distance therefore it is a completely different sport to jogging including ultra marathons.

Your opinion is based on ignorance. In the early 80's, the ultras were a lot more popular and better runners participated. Park Barner was a 2:13-2:14 marathon. Alex Ratelle(sp) was a top 50+ runner.

My opinion is that over the years, runners of this caliber found out how much the ultras tear up your legs and don't want to commit the two or three months recovery it takes after a race. The other point about the olympics holds true. If the 100k became an event, you would see the runners out of the top 10 in the marathon give it a shot to be on the olympic team. We only have a handful of americans who can run 2:14 right now.

The Marathon has History....that is why!....and always will!

When does running cease to be running, and become simply a "foot race"?

footrace: a race run by humans on foot