What are the best ultramarathon records? (Sponsored by HOKA)

Jim O'Brien Angeles Crest 100 (17:35:48) is one of the greatest. It stands from 1989 on a course that's about 1 mile shorter nowadays.

sqandrews wrote:

It is sad that running doesn't have something similar to the Tour De France , or in my mind, the much better Race Across America, or even better Trans Am Bike Race. Although Pete Kostelnick has shown that you can put in a good showing running across the country, and his 42 days from San Francisco to New York should be in contention for the best record.

There is a race across the US since 1928. Not every year but it is happening.

More info's here

You can't help but admire Joe "Stringbean" McConaughy's self-supported FKT on the Appalachian Trail from 2017. Though it is not the fastest-ever time on the trail anymore, Karel Sabbe broke it last summer by running a supported FKT, when it was run it was faster than the supported FKT at the time. Another cool thing about his FKT was how he kept the world up to speed by posting updates on his Instagram page, always back-logged so his self-supported status would remain valid. It's really entertaining to scroll through his Instagram feed and look at his posts leading up to and during the attempt. He explained the different shoes he would be wearing at the different parts for the course and walked us through his pack and how carefully he chose each piece of gear. My personal favorite post was when he explained the number of calories he would each day on the trail and what he would eat to get that many calories into his system while on the trail: by eating whole sleeves of Oreos for breakfast and five bags of chips at lunch. Overall, he's quite an incredible character that set a pretty amazing record in a way that really helped promote the sport in a positive way.

Keeping it real wrote:

RDP wrote:

Camille Herron’s 24 hour is very impressive, but no one has mentioned her 100 mile record of 12:42? She beat the previous world record by over an hour.

Camille improved a soft world best over 100 miles. That is not a world record. 100 miles is a almost never contested distance on roads. For her this was the easiest fruit to pick from a low hanging branch. Her 24 hour WR is one a much more contested official distance.

I was there. She ran 7:37 per mile for 100 miles, on dirt. It was the most impressive thing I've ever witnessed in person. She beat Ann Trason's record by over an hour. You calling Ann soft? I agree that Camille's 100 mile World Record is the best.

Dean Karnazes not only won the inaugural South Pole marathon, he was the only finisher!

tunnel hill 100. wrote:

I was there. She ran 7:37 per mile for 100 miles, on dirt. It was the most impressive thing I've ever witnessed in person. She beat Ann Trason's record by over an hour. You calling Ann soft? I agree that Camille's 100 mile World Record is the best.

Dirt? It is crushed gravel on a rail road bed. There is no trail. If it would be a trail it could not be a certified course.

Ann Trason won Western States fourteen times. How many times has Camille finished WS100?

Here is what I came up with. I don't feel that I have written down everything, so see this as a start of a longer discussion:

What are the best records in the sport of ultra marathoning?

At first we have to look at the quality of a record. How many people had the chance to run that distance over time, is that an international run distance or is it a fastest known time (FKT) over a famous trail.

1. 50k, 100k 24 hour races on roads and sometimes track/ indoors:

This is the gold standard of measuring performances. Usually these races are on accuratly measured (loop) courses and the events are held at a time of the year where good performances are very likely to happen.

If you see a runners performance, let’s say a 6:40 over 100k you know this is a very good time because you can assume it was run under comparable circumstances.

2. Trail ultras like Western States 100 or UMTB:

The problem with the famous US trail 100 milers is, to get into the race. There is no special entry for top runners from around the globe. Everybody has to enter the lottery or win a golden ticket (at WS100).

US races also allow pacing starting in the midst of the race (which is illegal in all other ultras) and have extensive crewing which is not known anywhere else.

Than there is the aspect of the trail itself. Course length: WS 100 started with 88 miles and got to the full 100 miles in 1985 or 86 I believe when there was a world wide push to measure courses more accurate. The condition of the trail at the day of the event can change the outcome of the race dramaticly. Unless you have detailed knowledge of the race history it is impossible to judge a time from a peticular year.

3. The FKT Rim2Rim2Rim in the Grand Canyon for example, is probably the most difficult to judge, since only some people are able to get to these trails and it probably gives runners (like Jim Walmsley for example) a huge advantage if you live close and know the conditions well and can pick a favorable day.

Another important aspect is the competiveness of a certain race. Is this a World Championship? Can other runners easily sign up for it? And can they reach the race easily? How many Countries are competing in this race?

1) Best course records (Comrades, Western States, UTMB, etc).

Spartathlon 1984 Yiannis Kouros with 20:25

http://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresultevent.php?event=5668

The Spartathlon is a highly competitive 153 mile race from Athens to Sparta in Greece. It’s probably in inofficial World Championships of ultrarunning on roads longer than 100k.

All results:

http://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresulteventalltime.php?event=45615

4 time winner Yiannis Kouros 83, 84, 86, 90

3 time winners Rune Larson 87,88,93 Jens Lukas 99, 04, 05 Scott Jurek 06, 07, 08 Ivan Cudin 10,11,14

Trails

Matt Carpenter’s Leadville 100 course record of 15:42:59 in 2005.

Kyle Skaggs first sub 24 hour finish at Hardrock 100 in 2007

2) Best records at runs less than 24 hours hours (50 miles, 100k, 100 miles, Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, etc).

Don Ritchie’s 6:10:20 over 100k on track 1978 was the World Record for 40 years. This must be one of the best performances ever. It just was succeeded last year by Nao Kazamo just after Don Ritchie passed away.

http://statistik.d-u-v.org/getintbestlist.php?year=all&dist=100km&gender=M&cat=all&nat=all&label=&hili=none&tt=netto&Submit.x=22&Submit.y=13

http://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresultperson.php?runner=63449

http://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresultevent.php?event=13931

3) Best 24 hour and longer races (24 hours, 48 hours, 6 days, also includes runs across US, Britain, Sri Chinmoy 3100, etc).

24 hours Yiannis Kouros 24 hour record of 188.6 miles (303.506 km) on a track in Adelaide, AUS in 1997. This record is almost 22 years old but I am pretty sure that will stand another 25 years.

If you look at the WR list, YK has 8 of the top ten results. His 15th best result was run when he was 52 in 2008 which is still a wooping 162.7 miles (261.054 km)

https://statistik.d-u-v.org/getintbestlist.php?year=all&dist=24h&gender=M&cat=all&nat=all&label=&hili=none&tt=netto&Submit.x=10&Submit.y=4

48 hours If you think Yiannis Kouros 24 hour record is impressive What about 294.2 miles (473.495 km) at the famous Des 48 heures pédestres de Surgères, FRA? Kouros ran 9:47 per mile for 2 straight days in 1996. Surgères had an invitational 48 hour race from 1985-2010. It was the inofficial WC for 48 hour racing.

Running 147.1 miles in one day is not an easy feat but Kouros did that for two days in a row. This might be the most difficult record to beat. I can imagine that this record will still stand in 50 years.

Yiannis Kouros performances

https://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresultperson.php?runner=17130

6 day running is the oldest form of ultrarunning. In the golden age of Pedestrianism you could see men circling wooden tracks in places like Madison Square Gardens for 6 days in the late 19th century. George Littlewood, England was the first who ran over 1000 km in 6 days. 623 miles 1,320 yards. It took 96 years until this record was broken by Yiannis Kouros.

Interestingly YK didn’t keep this record for too long. Jean-Gilles Boussiquet, France ran 642.62 miles (1034.20km) in La Rochelle, France in 1992. This was the overall 6 day record until 2005 when Yiannis Kouros ran 644.10 miles (1036.80km) in Colac, Australia.

Note: Yiannis Kouros was with no daubt unbeatable in races up to 72 hours. In 6 day races it evened out a bit.

Just 8 men have ran over 1000 km (621.37 miles) in 6 days.

1. 1888 George Littlewood 1003.02km / 623.25 miles New York, USA

2. 1888 James Albert Cathcart 1000.61km / 621.75 miles New York, USA

3 1984 Yiannis Kouros, 28 1022.068km / 635 miles New York, USA (July)

1984 Yiannis Kouros, 28 1023km/ 635,79 miles Colac, Australia (December)

1988 Yiannis Kouros,32 1028.938 km / 639.48 miles New York, USA (Split in 1000 mile race)

4. 1989 Bryan Smith, 46 1002.00km /622.62 miles Colac, Australia

5. 1990 James Zarei, 46 1001.52km / 622.31 miles Gateshead, Great Britain

6. 1992 Jean-Gilles Boussiquet, 48 1034.20km / 642.62 miles La Rochelle, France

7. 1992 Gilbert Mainix, 57 1007.60km /626.10 miles La Rochelle, France

2005 Yiannis Kouros, 49 1036.80km / 644.10 miles Colac, Australia

8. 2007 Wolfgang Schwerk, 52 1010.08km / 627.76 miles Erkrath, Germany

Best US runner:

2014 Joe Fejes,45 975.654km / 606 miles Anchorage, USA

1000 miles This is a race distance which doesn’t get raced as much for obvious reasons. The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team had a 1000 mile race for a few years, there were a couple of races in Australia and recently they have been races in Athens, Greece over this distance.

Again Yiannis Kouros holds the record. 10 days and 10:30:55 at 2nd Sri Chinmoy Ultra Trio 1000 Mile Race in New York,NY 1988.

https://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresultevent.php?event=14123

Fun fact: 3 weeks later YK ran Western States 100 in 20:12:54 24th place. I don’t know the story behind this but my guess is that Kouros got invited, showed up in his normal flat road running shoes and ran the course without a pacer. This result has been used by some runners to point out that Kouros was not a good trail runner. But there was no ultra trail running in Europe at that time. That started around 2000 to take off.

3100 miles

The monster of road ultra racing. Performed on concrete pavements around a block in Queens, NY in the sweltering summer heat. This race has seen some of the finest ultrarunners over the years.

Ashprihanal Aalto 40 days 9:06:21 2015

Wolfgang Schwerk 41 days 8:16:29 2006

Transcon Record

Anatoli Kruglikov winner of the Trans Australia Footrace 2001 in 305:18:45. The only race across Australia until today (in summer). Kruglikov averaged a 3:10 hour Marathon time over the whole event.

http://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresultevent.php?event=12459

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https://indd.adobe.com/view/671dbddf-dc25-4bf9-976c-4d38d19770ba

Pete Kostelnich solo US Transcon record from 2016 42 days, 6 hours, 34 minutes for 3063 miles. He finally put a never verified claim by Frank Giannino from 1980 to rest.

Women

1) Best course records (Comrades, Western States, UTMB, etc).

Ann Trason 18:06:24h at Leadville 100 in 1994 (still course record)

Ellie Greenwood Western States at 16:47 in 2012 (still course record)

Patrycja Bereznowska,POL 24:48:19 Spartathlon course record 2017

2) Best records at runs less than 24 hours hours (50 miles, 100k, 100 miles, Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, etc).

100k

Ann Trason 7:00:47 at the IAU 100km WC in Winschooten, Netherlands 1995

Tomoe Abe 6:33:11 at Lake Saroma, Japan 2000

6 day

Sandra Barwick, NZ 883.631k (549 miles) in Campbell Town,AUS 1990

1000 miles

Sandra Barwick, NZ 12 days and 14:38:40 New York,NY 1991

https://statistik.d-u-v.org/getresultperson.php?runner=78162

3100 miles

Kaneenika Janakova 48 days 14:24:10 2017

Runners worth looking into:

Elanor Adams- Robinson, Dipali Cunningham most successful 6day runner, Mary Hanudel Larsson 4x Spartathlon winner

I am pretty sure I missed a lot of great performances of women. This needs to be more explored.

What about all my records guys?

Dean's records are more eating than running records.

30,000 calories a day, can you imagine?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77jKb_EuE4o

Longest streak of not making a blog post.

Married 29 years. Had sex for the first 15. Try that ultra!!

"At first we have to look at the quality of a record. How many people had the chance to run that distance over time..."

You're living in the past. Spartathlon? 6 days? 3100 miles? These are not competitive races. Much better talent has come along, and the focus has shifted. Some trail/road races continue to be competitive, so regardless of conditions we know who the best runners are what the best, legitimate records are. Unfortunately some courses are lengthened or altered, which makes records virtually unbeatable. The standard, measured distances are easier to judge.

Stout and legitimate records:

Road/track:

Comrades downhill records, David Gatebe and Frith van der Merwe

Two Oceans, Thompson Magawana and Frith van der Merwe, both still hold 50Km World Records from 1988/89

100Km- Don Ritchie's 6:10 on a track in 1978 and Norimi Sakurai's 7:00:27 at Winschoten

Camille Herron: 100 miles and 24Hrs, ran over an hour faster than Ann Trason's record from 1989

Yiannis Kouros: 24Hrs and 48Hrs, no other man has gone beyond 180 miles, right?

Trail

UTMB records: Francois D'Haene and Rory Bosio

Western States: Jim Walmsley and Ellie Greenwood

Leadville: Matt Carpenter and Ann Trason

Madeira Ultra: Francois D'Haene and Caroline Chaverot

Honorable mention (not ultras)

Pikes Peak Marathon, Matt Carpenter and Megan Kimmel

Sierre Zinal, Jonathan Wyatt and Anna Pichrtova (not even Kilian Jornet or Kenyan Lucy Wanbui can beat these records)

Serious stuff wrote:

Jim O'Brien Angeles Crest 100 (17:35:48) is one of the greatest. It stands from 1989 on a course that's about 1 mile shorter nowadays.

Yes Jim O’Brien AC100. No one has come within in an hour of his time. It’s also seen some big names back in the day in their prime as well. It hasn’t attracted may big names these days but it’s still a ridiculous time to chase no the less.

2367 wrote:

Married 29 years. Had sex for the first 15. Try that ultra!!

You had sex the first 15 years. Having sex once/year is nothing to brag about.

Agree with almost everything you said.

Except that Spartathlon is very competitive. I don't think any other race which is not a WC 24 hour race comes close to that level of competition.

Ultramarkus wrote:

Agree with almost everything you said.

Except that Spartathlon is very competitive. I don't think any other race which is not a WC 24 hour race comes close to that level of competition.

No, it's not competitive. The standard 24Hrs is the longest world-wide competitive distance to compare performances at. Kouros records are virtually untouchable, mainly because no one runs those distances or Spartathlon. We can still appreciate that his 24Hrs and 48Hrs records are exceptional and more likely to be competed distances than any of the further distances.

Scott Jurek

Won the Western States Endurance Run seven consecutive times (1999–2005), and held the record time (15:36:27 in 2004) until 2010

T.M.A.D.H.A.S.F.N.E.

ukathleticscoach wrote:

With one exception I would stick with the IAAF standard distance records rather than looking at one specific course record most have not even attempted.

The exception is the Bob Graham record which thousands have attempted over decades. Killian record shocked me as it smashed an old record set by a British Champion fell runner.

I always wondered if Billy Bland's BGR record would be challenged by a world class mountain runner from outside the UK because not that many of Kilian's calibre had taken a crack at it until the man himself basically rocked up, took a few days to recce the route and annihilated the time.

JimbobJ wrote:

ukathleticscoach wrote:

With one exception I would stick with the IAAF standard distance records rather than looking at one specific course record most have not even attempted.

The exception is the Bob Graham record which thousands have attempted over decades. Killian record shocked me as it smashed an old record set by a British Champion fell runner.

I always wondered if Billy Bland's BGR record would be challenged by a world class mountain runner from outside the UK because not that many of Kilian's calibre had taken a crack at it until the man himself basically rocked up, took a few days to recce the route and annihilated the time.

To Bland´s defence, one should remember that he was working full time as a construction worker, running in primitive Walsh shoes, no fancy nutrition and no Salomon company behind his back.