I don't want to start a row but, what do you consider an ultra marathon

elvis jones

Chatting to some mates and no one could agree on what an ultra marathon is.

Is it 43k, 50k, 1.5 marathons, double marathon.

What do ultra runners consider an "ultra" in their eyes.

adamski8

elvis jones wrote: »

Chatting to some mates and no one could agree on what an ultra marathon is.

Is it 43k, 50k, 1.5 marathons, double marathon.

What do ultra runners consider an "ultra" in their eyes.

probably the same meaning a "mini marathon" has.
not that im an ultra runner but id like people just refer to the actual distances rather than marathon this marathon that

elvis jones

I'd hate to do a 50k event, call it an ultra and then be called out on it and told, eh that's an ultra marathon !

nerraw1111

Anything over 26.2 is an ultra.

After that, it's down to personal opinion. For some, a "proper" ultra is 100 miles others it's 24 hours etc. I think for World Championships in ultras, the distance starts at 50km. (according to wiki.)

Clearlier

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Anything over 26.2 is an ultra.

After that, it's down to personal opinion. For some, a "proper" ultra is 100 miles others it's 24 hours etc. I think for World Championships in ultras, the distance starts at 50km. (according to wiki.)

The World Championships do begin at 50km although last years winner doesn't consider it to be a 'real' ultra.

That said your definition is spot on. Anything over the marathon distance is considered an ultra marathon.

mr.wiggle

Do I have this right - a 50k event is an ultra marathon, whereas 100k or above, incl. time based events are considered Ultra's?

Enduro

I don't think the term "ultra marathon" has any meaning of significance. Really the "marathon" part is just verbal padding. It can be used interchangably with "ultra". So specifically to your question, 50km, 100km and time based events are ultras, but some people would also call them "ultra marathons".

ger664

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Anything over 26.2 is an ultra.

After that, it's down to personal opinion. For some, a "proper" ultra is 100 miles others it's 24 hours etc. I think for World Championships in ultras, the distance starts at 50km. (according to wiki.)

So was the race in Waterford the weekend before last a marathon or an ultra marathon ?

elvis jones

ger664 wrote: »

So was the race in Waterford the weekend before last a marathon or an ultra marathon ?

I take it the race was long ?

If a marathon comes in at 26.5k i wouldn't condsider it an ultra. I would go with 50k to be considered an ultra.

breffni blue

27 miles or more is consider an ultra, time based events are only ultra's if a distance of 27 miles of more have been covered......if you went off course on a marathon and ran 30 miles it would still be considered a marathon as you would entered a marathon...........

ger664

elvis jones wrote: »

I take it the race was long ?

If a marathon comes in at 26.5k i wouldn't consider it an ultra. I would go with 50k to be considered an ultra.

Now that would be short :P

I would consider a 50K race just that a 50K race. Same goes for 100K 100 Mile or whatever.

Why do we even consider a marathon to be a specific distance. If you look at the history of it the distance of the first Olympic marathon was 40K. In 1900 it was 25 Miles. In the early years it was dependant on the course used at each of the olympics until 1921 when the IAAF set its current length.
As the first marathon used the supposedly original course that Pheidippides ran from marathon to Athens one could argue that a marathon is actually 40K in length and what we run today is a 26 mile 385 yard race or for want of a better word an ultra marathon.

Enduro

This is what the IAAF say (which is also what the IAU says, and also what you'll find on Wikipedia). It's all simple and consistant. Any distance longer than the standard marathon distance (42.195 Km) is an ultra.

TFBubendorfer

Enduro wrote: »

This is what the IAAF say (which is also what the IAU says, and also what you'll find on Wikipedia). It's all simple and consistant. Any distance longer than the standard marathon distance (42.195 Km) is an ultra.

That's correct, but a mis-measured marathon like Waterford last week is still "only" a marathon.

elvis jones

ger664 wrote: »

Now that would be short :P

I would consider a 50K race just that a 50K race. Same goes for 100K 100 Mile or whatever.

Why do we even consider a marathon to be a specific distance. If you look at the history of it the distance of the first Olympic marathon was 40K. In 1900 it was 25 Miles. In the early years it was dependant on the course used at each of the olympics until 1921 when the IAAF set its current length.
As the first marathon used the supposedly original course that Pheidippides ran from marathon to Athens one could argue that a marathon is actually 40K in length and what we run today is a 26 mile 385 yard race or for want of a better word an ultra marathon.

What i wrote only dawned on my in the pool at lunch, $hit i ran further than that yesterday

endacl

I was at a wedding in cork at the weekend. Walking downstairs for breakfast in the hotel yesterday was as close to an ultra marathon as I've ever experienced...