What Is The Toughest Running Event In The World?

I'd love to see a VCP race using the 5K start into the cowpath cemetery hill and back hills then past the old 2.5 finish and do the hilly loop again and the third time just run to the bridge and down the bridle path finishing at the old HS finish. I guess that would work out to something like an 10k.

Might not beat the Inca trail but it would be a beast.

I ran the Mt. Marathon race in Seward, Alaska several times. Very tough race from sea level to 3000 feet, turn around at the top, back down. The trail was rough and several severe rocky sections. Always some broken bones and/or cut legs and arms each year. My track speed had no carryover as this was comlete hill climb ability.

A contender for a top 10 placing for certain.

jay marathon, vt

Barkely Marathon in TN--only 6 finishers ever under the cutoff

http://www.mattmahoney.net/barkley/index.html

I like the "60 mile fun run" part.......

If you count multievents, the one-day double decath might be the toughest to train for and do well; how do you train to be a distance-running shot-putter? It's got all the gut-buster events (400, 800, 400 H), plus the steeple.

If they put a marathon in there instead of the 200 hurdles, it'd be perfect.

Skuj; Probably steeplechase as far as the track, although the mile is just as tough or for that matter the 10k. The barriers are really tough on the last 2 laps.

There is a race called the Death Race in Grand Cache it's pretty brutal.

xlev2 wrote:

Barkely Marathon in TN--only 6 finishers ever under the cutoff

http://www.mattmahoney.net/barkley/index.html

I like the "60 mile fun run" part.......

I finished the fun run in 2001....it was the hardest thing I have ever done. But maybe because I was sleep deprived being out on the trail for almost 40 hours...and besides I do not think this should be considered a "running" event. Not much running happening.

Maybe my hardest running event would have been my first sub 2:50 at Boston in '83. The Boston course does not like me...

the marijuolathon

Just get bent, Darrin.

What a trip it would be to hit that on that drawer bed.

I love how a girl who has a drawer for a bed has both the time and the technology to be making softcore home movies to post on the web.

Anyone that is a steeplechaser can attest that its probably the hardest race to run. You can kinda hang on and fake it in the flat races like 3k up, but in steeple your strengths comeout and theres no going out hard and hanging. If you go out at the wrong pace for you on that day then you will fade badly!

world mountain running championships. Every second year it is ALL uphill...6.5 miles of it.

Matanuska Peak Challenge 14 miles, 9000ft. vertical gain round trip, held near Palmer Alaska on the first Saturday in August every year. Winning time is usually a little over 3hrs.

We once ran a 4x800 hurdle relay- (intermediates). Great race to run and watch. No water jump, that would have made it better.

But, I think any track race, if run right, is tough. The 800 and 400 hdls are very tough and the steeple could be very humbingg.

The Trans-Antarctica Marathon. Over 2000 miles, reaches 9000 ft at the South Pole. You have to carry all your own equipment and food, but you are allowed to stock up on food at the checkpoints.

quote]itbe wrote:

The Trans-Antarctica Marathon. Over 2000 miles, reaches 9000 ft at the South Pole. You have to carry all your own equipment and food, but you are allowed to stock up on food at the checkpoints.[/quote]

do they provide hookers?[