What are the best ultras in the world? (Sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE)

I just want to correct something in the Sage Canaday interview. Sage said: "The course record... was by that guy who Eddy H(ellebuyck) told people used to sell him EPO in Albuquerque, which I’ll just leave it at that. It’s an impossible record."

The guy he's referring to is Leonid Schvetsov, who did indeed break Fordyce's record by running 5hrs20 in 2007 (and then also got the up-run record with 5hrs24 the following year).

However, the record was broken again in 2016, by David Gatebe (one of the top South African marathon and road ultra runners).

Gatebe ran the 2016 down run in 5hrs18. That's 3:32min/km pace; 5:41min/mile. Note that while the down run has a net drop of around 650m, it's still quite hilly (elevation gain of around 1150m). Incidentally, 2016 was also the year Max King came 8th (in 5hrs37).

https://www.strava.com/activities/592002244/overview

What are you correcting me on exactly? Does Leonid Shvetsov not still have the uphill record at Comrades? That was the "impossible record" I was talking about... You don't compare uphill records to downhill records (they actually change distance and direction at Comrades....2016 was a a down year....)

Apologies, thought you were talking about the overall record. You're right, Shvetsov still has the up-run record.

I'm not sure if that record is any more impossible to break than his down-run record was. Looking at the list of best ever times for both up and down, his down-record record was actually more of an outlier. Having said that though, it is noteworthy how nobody's gotten close to the up-run record since Shvetsov set it, so clearly it is pretty difficult.

Shame on you trail runners, you've missed a bunch of amazing, passion led races:

Just because they dont start with western or Ultra Trail Mont....does not mean they don't kick some seriously asss and are extremely well organized:

INFINITUS - 88K

Strolling Jim

Big Backyard Ultra

Barkely

Zane Grey 50

Hellgate 100k

Bull Run run

Frozen Otter Ultra

Badwater 135

Ultra Race of Champions 100 K

Hurt 100

Angeles Crest 100

Pikes Peak Marathon

The Bear 100

Plain 100

Vermont 100

Worlds End 100k

Hyner 50k

Leadville 100

Chuckanut 50K

Run Rabbit Run

American River 50

Wasatach 100

Miwok - 100K

Pinhoti 100

Gorge Waterfall 100k

Bandera - 100K

Virgil Crest - 100 Miler

Waldo 100k

Arkansas Traveler - 100 Miler

Lone Star 100

Hellbender 100

Georgia Death Race

Lake Martin 100

Javelina Jundred 100 Miler

Cruel Jewel 100

Massanantuen 100 Miner

Moab red Hott 55k

Grindstone - 100 Miler

Rocky Raccoon - 100 Miler

Jemez Mountain 50

Grindstone 100

The Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Run - 100 Miler

Squaw Peak 50

Silver Stear 50

Umstead 100

Mountain Masochist Trail Run - 50 Miler

White River 50

Green Monster 50k

Hat Trail Run 50K

Patapsco Valley 50K

Catoctin 50K

Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stagecoach Line 100 Mile

Black Canyon 100K

Caumsett - 50K

Speedgoat 50K

Way to Cool 50K

The Broken Arrow Skyrace

Transvulcania - 77K

San Diego 100

Pemberton Trail 50K

Finger Lakes 50M

Rosaryville Veterans Day 50k

Cayuga Trails 50M

Burning River - 50 Miler

Tahoe 200 Endurance Run

Twisted Branch Trail Run 100k

Mountain Masochist Trail Run - 50 Miler

Eastern States 100

Does the Sierra Club still hold the DC-Harpers Ferry 100K Hike? Love that 21-hour cutoff & point to point course!

First off. Kilian Jornet is not the GOAT. He is a dominant euro mountain runner. But ultra running is not just euro mountains. Kilian gets crushed in American Running courses not hardrock.

Matt Carpenter would have beaten Kilian at Pikes 10 times over.

Kilian would never win western states

or a 24 hour track race

or comrades

Ultra running isnt just Mountain Running...its an entire range of styles.

Zach Miller is more diverse than KJ

Francois Dhaene? same caliber as KJ. xavier thevenard.

The reason why americans get beat in europe is because our continent is different. I rarely see europeens win a desert race.

Kilian would never win western states LMAO Kilian won WS a few years ago lol. U dumb?

MUT and Road Runner wrote:

First off. Kilian Jornet is not the GOAT. He is a dominant euro mountain runner. But ultra running is not just euro mountains. Kilian gets crushed in American Running courses not hardrock.

Matt Carpenter would have beaten Kilian at Pikes 10 times over.

Kilian would never win western states

or a 24 hour track race

or comrades

Ultra running isnt just Mountain Running...its an entire range of styles.

Zach Miller is more diverse than KJ

Francois Dhaene? same caliber as KJ. xavier thevenard.

The reason why americans get beat in europe is because our continent is different. I rarely see europeens win a desert race.

MUT and Road Runner wrote:

Zach Miller is more diverse than KJ

.

Zach Miller more diverse than Kilian? you truly have no clue what you're talking about

and yeah...Kilian won Western States.

In terms of greatest mental running feat in ultra, that has to go to David Goggins's 2006 San Diego One Day race.

Simply because, as a 6 foot 1, 230 pound, untrained powerlifter, he was able to run 101 miles in 18 hours.

That's freaking insane!

With such a large list I am legit surprised you missed Superior 100. While less known, perhaps not super competitive but very tough very scenic and extremely well organized. It is easily one of the best in the country, certainly deserves to be on such a comprehensive list.

Can we talk... wrote:

In terms of greatest mental running feat in ultra, that has to go to David Goggins's 2006 San Diego One Day race.

Simply because, as a 6 foot 1, 230 pound, untrained powerlifter, he was able to run 101 miles in 18 hours.

That's freaking insane!

He is very impressive, but that's a bit of exaggeration. He was 195 lbs, he had trained, and it was ~19 hours, and in 2005 btw.

gog me wrote:

Can we talk... wrote:

In terms of greatest mental running feat in ultra, that has to go to David Goggins's 2006 San Diego One Day race.

Simply because, as a 6 foot 1, 230 pound, untrained powerlifter, he was able to run 101 miles in 18 hours.

That's freaking insane!

He is very impressive, but that's a bit of exaggeration. He was 195 lbs, he had trained, and it was ~19 hours, and in 2005 btw.

http://legacy.sandiegouniontribune.com/uniontrib/20051202/news_lz1s2ultrastr.html

Per his book, he had not trained to run at all, was 230, and did it in 18 hours. You saying he lied?

Per his Book wrote:

Per his book, he had not trained to run at all, was 230, and did it in 18 hours. You saying he lied?

Interesting. I haven't read his book.

That newspaper interview, published 13 days after the event and showing a photo of a guy who looks like a 195 wide receiver, says he was 195 lbs and he said he runs regularly, often twice a day. And he'd run a half marathon and an unofficial marathon earlier in the year.

"Goggins' workout routine reflects a man with military discipline. He awakes at 3:45 a.m. and lift weights with his wife from 4 to 5:30. In the afternoon, he swims for 30 minutes or jogs for about an hour and a half.

After dinner, if he feels his workouts were poor that day or if he's bored watching TV, he'll break into pushups or maybe head out the door for another run.

Asked if the call for a third workout happens maybe once a week, Goggins shakes his head and says, "probably four times a week.""

And don't forget Kaci Lickteig who won Western States, Bear 100, and placed top 10 at UTMB while training primarily on roads and bike paths in Omaha, Nebraska.

zulzul wrote:

It should be obvious by now that the UTMB is the most prestigious and competitive ultramarathons in the world. Deep field every year without fail, set with Mont Blanc as the backdrop and the number of supporters, volunteers and crews that keeps on pushing runners over the course.

GOAT would be non other that Kilian. The cliche answer, but well deserved. He may not win all races but who else would wait for his competitors so that he can finish together in a race?

https://www.denverpost.com/2016/07/16/kilian-jornet-jason-schlarb-hardrock-100/

Both marathons and ultramarathons may share the distance and the focus on speed, but beyond that its two different sports altogether I would say.

Is there no money at Hardrock? If he's the GOAT the counter argument is some guy who is new to the sport shouldn't be able to keep up with him. Or is Hardrock sort of a training run for Killian?

And also do most trail ultras allow pacers after a certain amount?

Why is that?

Steeltown runner generally is againt pacing in the road ultras but it looks like in trail ones you can have pacers after the start.

Schlarbs ultrasignup goes back to 2010 so I don’t think he was at all new to the sport when he won Hard rock with KJ. I follow him on IG and he seems to be dominating races all over Europe the past few years.

Pacers are mostly used for safety. For a regular runner (I.e., non-elite), a longer ultra could take anywhere from 24-36 or even 48 hours. If you are moving constantly for that time period, especially if the terrain is rocky or uneven, you get exhausted, both mentally and physically. It’s easy to fall and get seriously injured or run off course, or make poor mental decisions. A pacer can help remind you to fuel properly and keep you awake. Most ultras have handbooks that spell out the specific duties as pacers. For example, a pacer can’t act as a mule, and carry food, water or gear for the runner. They are just there for support. For those of us with track backgrounds, think how getting through tough repeats is easier when you have a training partner. Same concept for a pacer. Moral support to help you finish.

My own 2 cents: I’m a former collegiate runner (4x All American) who moved up to ultras in my 30s. The thing that blew me away was the immense support of the ultra community. I’ve met a lot of quirky characters, but everyone seems genuinely kind and supportive. Most people out there are simply trying to explore their limits as a human and want to see others succeed. Finishing my first ultra (a 50k with 8000 feet of climbing) was one of the most fulfilling moments in my running game career, and probably the sorest I’d been since a set of quarter repeats in college). Yes, there are lots of different kinds of limits (my personal favorite being the mile since I’m a miler at heart.) But, I think a lot of people are starting to see a 50 miler or a 100 miler as a great test of their endurance limits. We are seeing a big boom in half and mull marathons. It’s trickling up to the ultra community as well. Races are becoming more popular and participation numbers are growing.

I am not an ultra runner but I am really excited to learn more about ultras. Thanks for doing this, LRC.