The modern 26.2 mile marathon race was inspired by death.
According to legend, a noble Greek named Phidippides ran the first marathon in 490 B.C.E. His mission was to run from Marathon, a town about 26 miles outside of Athens, to the great city in order to announce the Athenians' battle victory over the Persians. Phidippides carried out his orders, but managed only to gasp out "Nike!" (Greek for "victory") upon arrival in Athens before collapsing dead from exhaustion.
Phidippides' feat inspired more than just a tennis shoe brand. The first official marathon race took place in the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens to commemorate his legendary run. The race made its North American debut in 1897 here in Boston and has spread to numerous locations across the globe over the past century.
While the 20,000-plus runners who participated in Boston's 110th Marathon on Monday illustrate the popularity of this extreme test of endurance and intestinal fortitude, it is the smaller number of ultramarathon runners who have taken Phidippides' example to another echelon.
Ultramarathons come in all shapes and sizes and are catching on like wildfire in a globalized and increasingly individualistic world. They range from the traditional 26.2 mile marathon distance in extreme locations, to 100 and even 150-mile treks across various types of terrain.
The International Spartathlon, run every September, began in 1983 to pay tribute to a lesser-known version of the Phidippides legend that says this Greek ran not just 26 miles to Athens, but nearly 150 miles round trip between Athens and Sparta.
The Leadville 100 is another ultramarathon held annually in the rugged mountains of Colorado. Participants race across 100 miles of forest trails,
climbing to altitudes of over 12,000 feet and scaling three mountain passes along the way. Not only do these runners have to adjust to the high altitude, unstable weather conditions and variable trails, they also must deal with the nutritional deficiencies accrued by running so much in such a short period of time. The runners are forced to stop periodically for weigh-ins to make sure they are hydrated enough to continue. To make sure they meet the weight requirements, many of these crazy - I mean resourceful - people stuff their pockets with rocks.
Ultramarathons have spread to all seven continents and even the Arctic Ocean. The North Pole Marathon, founded in 2003, is dubbed "the world's coolest marathon" and is the only certified marathon race that takes place totally on water. Runners travel 26.2 miles over the Arctic Ocean's frozen ice floes that leave just six to 12 feet between their bodies and 12,000 feet of frigid ocean water. Just hope the ice doesn't crack before they cross the finish line.
The North Pole Marathon's sister race at the South Pole combines extreme temperatures (-13 degree highs) and high altitude to make for Antarctica's contribution to the ultramarathon world. This race is so difficult that San Francisco businessman and international extreme runner Dean Karnazes (who ran a 199-mile race that most people break into a 12-leg relay all on his own) had to start two different times and wear snowshoes before completing the race.
The Sahara Marathon in Algeria serves as a foil to these polar races. The host Saharawi people have spent 26 years exiled to the desert (yes, apparently people still are exiled to the desert) from their homeland of Western Sahara. In hosting the Sahara Marathon, these people bring runners into their homes for the days leading up to the race and also man the aid stations along the way. Though they only bring in $100 per runner for four days, the people receive publicity for their cause from the marathon, which offers extreme runners the chance to race across 26.2 miles of rolling sand dunes in scalding heat. Fun!
As evidenced by these descriptions, the extreme running culture is booming and making historic races like Boston's event seem like a jog in the park. Though it's easy to dismiss a "normal" marathon as easy in light of the ultramarathon challenge, this comparison has to be put in perspective.
First of all, I only know a handful of people who have run the typical marathon, and all of them trained harder than any other athletes I've met. 26.2 miles is a distance human beings were not evolutionarily made to run (see: Phidippides, death), but those that are able to overcome the physical and mental barriers and actually run a marathon deserve a lot of credit.
When it comes to ultramarathons, however, these people have a little something those in the medical world might call an addiction. Whether this dependence is on endorphins, adrenaline or ego validation, the satisfaction these runners get after completing such extreme events ranks right up there with that of a drug fix.
Take, for example, my high school Calculus teacher Mr. Crock. Aside from teaching and coaching the cross country team, Mr. Crock is an ultramarathoner who runs the Leadville 100 every August. To do so, he must get up at three every morning to run his first 10 miles of the day. After five-mile runs at lunch and then again after school, Mr. Crock goes home to have dinner with his family and then proceeds to run another 10 miles before bed. Replace the word "run" with "drink" and the word "miles" with "drinks" and you'll see that this training schedule ranks right up there with full-blown alcoholism in the addiction category.
Running a marathon requires a high level of commitment and the sacrifice of some enjoyments during training. Ultramarathon running, however, requires sacrifice not just on the I-can't-drink-tonight level, but more along the lines of personal relationships and life priorities. For those like Mr. Crock, who manage to balance normal life with the running habit, congratulations. But I wouldn't recommend taking up the ultramarathon life. Unless, of course, you want to end up like Phidippides.
