Ultra News
14 May 09
Maguire to run 100kms for charity………More
In search of Caballo Blanco.…………..More
Some can really run through the night………..More
11 May 09
Across the Years cancelled in 2009…………More
27 Jul 08
New Dean Karnazes film The inspirational film UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons • 50 States • 50 Days, features renowned endurance athlete and best selling author Dean Karnazes, in his attempt to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days to rasie awarenes for youth obestisty and to get America active…………More
26 Jul 08
Marvellous Mimi – Running England…………..More
World Run Media coverage Jesper Olsen and Sarah Barnett have not been able to avoid the media spotlight during their World Run in Finland. Attached are some of the articles so far………..More
25 Jul 08
Colac Six Day race finished forever It is with great regret and sadness that I personally inform you that there will be no Colac Six Day Event in 2008 and beyond. As you know I took over the event 12 months ago after it had collapsed in 2006. My vision was to return one of Australia’s best Ultra Marathon events back to the forefront again but as a major ultra marathon event combined with a festival of sport………..More
21 Jul 08
Deakes out of 50km racewalk at Beijing In a major shock, the Geelong race walker has been forced out with a persistent hamstring injury, which dates back to the 2005 world championships in Helsinki…………..More
20 Jul 08
Vlastik starts run across Australia My good Ultra friend , 68 year old Tasmanian runner, Vlastik Skvaril will be starting on another Ultra Adventure today when he commences his run across Australia, aptly named “Bay to Bay”……………More
18 Jul 08
PACE Trek 2009 It has been two months since I completed my solo run across Montana to promote youth fitness globally. That 620-mile trek in 20 days on the pavement was quite a challenge and brought back some familiar feelings from my 3,260-mile solo run across America in 2006. I’ve logged thousands of miles in an effort to encourage children to greater health and fitness, and the pursuit of their goals and dreams………….More
WalkingMan in Queensland Crashed my baby jogger. I stopped by a bridge to read a plaque and
parked my jogger on the grass at a slight angle. Walked down a grassy mowed hill to “water the bushes”………..More
Peter Koopman – June Newsletter…………..More
Diary of an Ultra Runner I began running after watching after watching the Munich Olympic Games (1972) on television. Began by racing with the school cross country team and later began running local road races (10k, half marathon, etc). After a few years of shin/calf injuries I entered the Robin Hood marathon in 2005 looking for a new challenge. Didn’t enjoy it much but after finishing it occurred to me that it wasn’t so hard really and to push myself I needed a completely different challenge…………..More
13 Jul 08
Trans USA Updates…………….More
11 Jul08
World Run 2 – Now in Finland The World Run 2 has got off to a flying start. Jesper Olsen and Sarah Barnett are now in Finland and by all reports are having the time of their lives. This website here will take you to the main website, Facebook Group and the Souvenier store…..More
Walking Man – week 6 and 7 Solstice has passed and days are supposed to get longer, but
because I am headed south 20 miles {32 kilometers} per day, days are still 11.5 hours {6.20am till 5.40pm} of light. The sun also moves south about 20 miles a day. That’s good for me though, as I only walk 6 or 7 hours
and take lots of breaks………..More
Cyclists raising money for Flying Doctors A group of cyclists have begun a journey from Broken Hill to Darwin to raise money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Ride Organiser June Files says the group – with an average age of 55 – is re-enacting the ride made by Frederick Blakeley and the O’Neil brothers 100 years ago………...More
10 Jul 08
Colac is cancelled To all ultra runners, walkers and supporters of the Colac Six Day Event, As you are aware the entry standard has been dropped for this year’s race but still there are very little entries…..More
06 Jul 08
David Eadie – Ready for World 100km PITY the crook who tries to shin it from Victorian Police Sergeant David Eadie. Eadie might be outdone in a sprint, but he’ll eventually catch his man. The 38-year-old last month became the Australian ultra-marathon champion when he won the national title on the Gold Coast…………..More
Lisa Smith-Batchen heads for Badwater Hi my friends. It really is one of those days where I sit here and really can’t believe that in less than 48 hours I will be in Las Vegas getting ready to start our 2008 project! As of today since May 1st, 2008 we have raised close to $240,000!!! Our goal by Oct. is $500,000. Wow..how thankful are we for the love, support and belief to each of you for without this it would not be possible……………More
05 Jul 08
Bowie completes Classic quarter INTREPID Running Forever member Jason Bowie took part in the Classic Quarter, a 44-mile race. The relatively new ultra marathon goes along the coastal path from Lizard Point to Land’s End…………More
Lexington mother completes Mohican 100 mile The 34-year-old Lexington mother of three ran 62 miles over a 36-hour period that weekend as a tune-up for her first ultra-marathon. She completed the Mohican 100-Mile Trail Run on June 21 and 22 in 25 hours and 42 minutes, finishing fourth among women and 32nd overall in a field of 150 starters, more than half of whom fell victim to attrition…………More
04 Jul 08
Strong Australian team for 100km World Cup ………………..More
Hayes finishes Le Grizz Ultra It took him longer than he wanted, but Saturday was such a glorious bright and clear day to run 50 miles along Hungry Horse Reservoir that Bob Hayes wasn’t too disappointed to finish the Le Grizz ultramarathon in 11 hours, 4 minutes…………More
Sithuba covers himself in Comrades glory HE WAS prepared to stretch the pain barrier in his objective of finishing one of the country’s most enduring and prestigious races – the Comrades Marathon. For Melikhaya Sithuba, from NU2 in Mdantsane, the 10 years of sweat, blood and tears finally paid off………...More
01 Jul 08
Olsen and Barnett start World run 2 In less than an hour, my good friends, Jesper Olsen and Sarah Barnett start their EPIC journey around the world from Nordkapp in Norway. 40, 000 kms and close to three years of running…………More
30 June 08
Walking Man – Week 4 and 5 in Aust Days are getting shorter and cooler now , light at 6.30 and dark at 5.40 , so about 11 hours of daylight. One more week till the winter solstice on June 21st and then the days start getting longer……………More
29 June 08
Bill Allen makes US team For years, Bill Allen dreamed of earning a place on the United States national 24-hour run team. But he knew he’d have to run a real, real, real long way and a real, long, long, long time to do so………….More
Grindon to run in Swiss Ultra James Grindon is taking part in an ultra marathon in Switzerland in aid of the Northern Ireland Hospice. The Davos Ultra is a gruelling 48 mile run and James is hoping to complete the run in eight hours………….More
28 June 08
Western States cancelled for 2008 Dear Western States Runners,It is with deep regret that we announce today that the 35th running of the Western States 100-mile Endurance Run has been canceled, due to the unprecedented amount of wildfires that have struck
northern California in recent days and the health risks that have been associated with these wildfires……More
New running forum…………More
Run for Lupus -2008……………….First, I would like to thank all of you for your support of my run against lupus in 2007. We raised $5,000 to fight a disease impacting 2 million Americans and I successfully completed the North Country Trail Ultramarathon well under my goal of 10 hours…………….More
Olsen and Barnett to run around the world <!–[endif]–>1st July 2008, Danish Ultrarunner, Jesper Olsen and Australian Ultrarunner, Sarah Barnett will commence a 40,000km run around the world……..More
19 June 08
Kenyan runners to compete at 2009 Comrades Kenya has promised to send athletes to take part in next year’s Comrades marathon, a spokesman for KwaZulu-Natal premier S’bu Ndebele said today……..More
24hr World skateboarding record smashed I was able to set the world record for skateboarding distance in 24 hours. Old record was 208 miles. New record 242 miles. I achieved this record after only 6 weeks of long distance skateboard training. My ultra running training, especially nutrition and hydration, paid off in the long run…….More
15 June 08
Sandy Powell newspaper article A running career that began at Riverheads High School more than 30 years ago continues today, but it’s not nearly the type of running a high school kid would consider…….More
Driven to run 160km I want the straight goods: how do you motivate yourself to run 160 kilometres? What do you think about, how do you focus? How do you train, what type of person tries this and who succeeds?…………..More
Comrades in need of a local hero We’ve all seen the poor bastard who is first to be cordoned off by the Comrades Marathon security staff at the end of the race, having failed to beat the gun that signals the final cut-off time………….More
Peter runs for Charity Peter wants to do his Ultra Run for Charity in order to raise funds to help children suffering from cleft lip and palate living in Malaysia. Many families there simply cannot afford to pay for an operation that would transform their child’s future………….More
Walking Man – Week 2 and 3 in Australia Over a small pass only 1.5 miles long through the Great Dividing Range, just north of Ingham. Now I am in a much drier area with bush for Kangeroo and grazing for cattle. They still grow sugar cane, but they have to irrigate it with water from a series of
dams on the Burdiken river……..More
14 June 08
Running and walking clothing Be the first in your block, club, race or group to be running and walking in a shirt or hat from Cafepress……..More
13 June 08
News on the Nation Run Since meeting the three young men who were running coast to coast I’ve rec’d regular emails from them. They arrived safely in San Diego on Memorial Weekend – met on the beach by about 30 loved ones. Pretty spectacular achievement Savannah, GA to San Diego for three guys in their early 20s………..More
Vlastik Skvaril praised in Parliament I would like to talk about a remarkable man from my electorate of Braddon-some would say unique. In fact, he describes himself as ‘crazy’, and I describe him as the veritable Forrest Gump of Braddon…….More
11 June 08
Nigel Reed – Solo Walker Hi Everybody! Its Nigel Reed. If you’re thinking life is tough! Be born on April Fools day and then be called Nigel. But hey do not go yet ! Things get better. My father was shot down and killed in 1943 and as a result of that my mother bailed out as well…….More
9 Jun 08
Walking Man in Australia Singing “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson, although I am going to have to look up the lyrics as I do not know the whole song. Feels great to be back on the road walking and having an adventure after 5 months working in the Florida Keys at the Ocean Reef Club……..More
04 Jun 08
ECCO sponsors World’s Longest Run ECCO is sponsoring 36-year-old Jesper Olsen from Denmark on the world’s longest run, which starts out from Norkapp in Norway on 1 July. Two years later and 40,000 kilometres richer in experiences from four continents, the Farum native will arrive in New Foundland, Canada on 15 September 2010, having created a new world record……….More
3 Jun 08
Getting high on Mongolian Run MONGOLIA’S snow-capped mountains and ancient horse trails are spectacular to look at – so why would you want to run up them? But that’s what a group of ultra marathon fanatics are about to do, writes Sam Riley……………More
1 June 08
Stu Barrington joins PUM Team I would like to welcome Stu Barrington to the Planet Ultramarathon Team. Stu is resident in the USA…………..More
Ultrarunning site for South America…………….More
30 May 08
Rosie nears the end of her World Run Rosie has just completed her run across Iceland. She catches a ferry to the Faroes Islands on May 28th as a stop gap to wait for the ferry that arrives in Scrabster ( Scotland) at 5 am. on the 18th of June…….More
27 May 08
Sarah Barnett to join World Run 2 “I am very honoured and amazed to be part of the World-Run and to be starting the run in Norway with Jesper and the team. I was aware of the World Run several years ago and have always been inspired and intregued by it’s sheer enormity, and also the message of hope and international unity that it offers……..More
25 May 08
Australian Centurions Newsletter – May 08…………More
23 May 08
PACE Trek 2008 – Final Thoughts and Music Review I wanted to provide you with a link to my “final thoughts” about P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 (which you can read at www.pacetrek.com/posttrek.htm). Also, many have asked about the local television news report that was done about the finish of the trek…….More
18 May 08
Planet Ultramarathon – The Social Network I have started a social network page to try and connect ultrarunners and ultrawalkers together in the same place………More
16 May 08
Comrades to move to May The Comrades marathon in 2009 and 2010 will move back to May to avoid clashes with the Confederations Cup and the World Cup, Athletics South Africa and the Comrades Marathon Association announced yesterday……….More
PACE Trek in Helena, Montana I arrived in Helena yesterday afternoon and in about an hour I’ll be hitting the road again to go up and over the Continental Divide to Elliston, where I’ll stop for today. I’ve spent 14 days on Montana’s highways and have logged 447 miles to date – which is 72% of the total 620-mile distance across Montana……..More
15 May 08
74 year old walks Kokoda Trail…….More
World Harmony Run – Australian leg The World Harmony Run is seeking runners to accompany them on their Australian tour. This event, supported by the Sri Chinmoy Marathon team, started in Brisbane on Sunday 27 April and is heading south. Please show your support and join this run contingent……..More
More photos at Ultra Photo Blog……More
14 May 08
15 marathons in 15 days – The Simpson Desert This will be the first ever attempt to run the gauntlet from the Geographical Centre (Lambert Centre) of Australia across the full length of the Simpson Desert to Birdsville. Five athletes will run a total distance of 640km, passing through 3 States (NT, SA, QLD) and over 1315 sand dunes in a West to East direction in just 15 days……..More
11 May 08
Australians to cross Artic Island on foot In July 2005, two young Aussies Chris Bray and Clark Carter plunged inside the Arctic Circle to travel unsupported across Victoria Island, the world’s ninth largest and largely unexplored island……..More
Pushing your bike 175 miles – In Alaska AS Christian Cullinane admitted, it was no place to have the pedal fall off your bike. With temperatures touching minus 30C and the white wilderness of Alaska stretching as far as the eye could see, there was nothing for it but to push. Which he did for 175 miles……..More
10 May 08
Website of the week – Dreamchasers Outdoor Adventure Club …….More
09 May 08
Vlastik Skvaril wins Tasmanian Golden Coasties Award ………More
Ultrarunner of the week – Donn Ozaki Mile 18 of the Avalon 50 Mile Race was where I first met Donn. He and his friend Jim Green were trying to play catch up after starting slow at the beginning of the race. Coming back from an injury, I didn’t think there was any way I would be able to stay with them for as long as I did, but boy, am I glad that I did!…….More
8 May 08
Yiannis Kouros – 3 wins in 5 weeks A busy 5 weeks for Yiannis Kouros on his European tour. 3 weeks after winning the Brno 48 hour indoor race with a modest (for him) 408km he went on to win a 24 hour running 261km in Ciserno,Italy!……….More
London to Liverpool in 11 days At the time of writing this, I’m sat with Adam on a wall outside Woodside ferry terminal soaked in sweat and shivering like a dog tied to a lamppost on a freezing January morning – but I’m ecstatic……More
6 May 08
Ultra Photos around the Globe Planet Ultramarathon are pleased to announce the start of a new Ultra blog. WordPress recently announced a new photo blog format which I was really impressed with……..More
3 May 08
New members of the PUM team People will probably notice that the Planet Ultramarathon team has expanded considerably in the past few weeks and is looking less and less like a website with only my input…….More
Photos from Coburg 24hr Presentations………..More
An interview with Tracy Y. Thomas What follows is an interview with ultrarunner Tracy Y. Thomas, 46, of Champaign-Urbana, IL, USA, a member of the Second Wind Running Club’s ultrarunning group, “Buffaloes of the Prairie,” based in Champaign-Urbana, IL………More
26 Apr 08
Andrew Laing cycling to Comrades UIST’s roads will be looking pretty good to one cyclist this summer. North Uist’s Andrew Laing is to return to the islands to complete the multi-sport adventure race, the Heb Challenge, from June 29 to July 4…….More
Melbourne Firemen to run from Gallipoli to London The group of Australian firefighters and supporters arrived at Anzac Cove yesterday to prepare for an endurance charity marathon of more than 4500km aimed at embodying the spirit of what it means to be Australian……..More
A few photos from Walk New Mexico …..More
Peter Rietveld -Running through Austria ……More
25 Apr 08
Photos from South Africa 6-day race………….More
22 Apr 08
Melbourne to Brisbane Ultra The Ultra, a 44 day stage race from Melbourne to Brisbane, to be held in October and November 2009, has announced that it is now taking expressions of interest from elite athletes. There is to be a cap of 15 runners, with approximately half expected to be from within Australia. the balance from overseas…….More
17 Apr 08
DeBoom to run at Leadville Tim DeBoom, a two-time Ironman World champion and America’s No. 1 ranked long distance triathlete, today announces his entry in the 2008 Leadville 100 trail race – a 100 mile ultramarathon through the Rocky Mountains of Leadville, Colorado…………More
Gary Hause walking in Australia Getting ready to leave on the next section of my walk around the world. I will be flying to Cairns, Australia, on May 15th 2008 and start walking south along the coast to Melbourne. I have a 6 month visa and a return ticket from the Melbourne airport………..More
16 Apr 08
Peter Rietveld – running across Austria …………………….More
Run across America – for PFC Diaferio Yesterday was day nine for me. The headline story on the Albuquerque evening news Thursday night was about the weather. Apparently the cold temps and fierce winds were part of a storm front that would be with us for a couple more days. Oh joy……More
14 Apr 08
Budhia Singh’s coach murdered The controversial former coach of a six-year-old Indian distance runner has been shot dead by an unidentified gunman, reports said. Biranchi Das, whose handling of Budhia Singh caused widespread concern, died shortly after the attack in the eastern state of Orissa, the Press Trust of India said late on Sunday……More
11 Apr 08
Ultrarunners to remember Bataan Death March The Filipino veterans of World War II may not be able to complete the 20-meter “Walk with the Heroes” in Mariveles, Bataan, on Tuesday but Ed Paez and the San Fernando Runners Unlimited Inc. will honor them with a two-day 102-kilometer run that will retrace the infamous Death March of Apr. 1, 1942 that saw thousands of Filipino and American troops being forced to walk from Bataan to Tarlac by the Japanese military…….More
Paul Ashton raises $12,000 EVERY man and his dog trains for ultra-marathons – at least Ashburton’s Paul Ashton does with his two four-legged companions. Mr Ashton ran the 160km Alpine Skyrun last weekend to raise money for mental illness organisation Mind Australia……More
Mpotoane to be buried Top South African ultra-marathon runner Michael Mpotoane will be buried in Bodibe village near Lichtenburg, North West, on Saturday……more
Great Walk to Beijing – 2008 International stars and cancer survivors – 228kms along the Great Wall of China in just 23 days. You too can help build a global model for patient focused cancer care and research – The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre…….More
10 Apr 08
Brett’s Final Report – 100 Miles for CanTeen After 3 years of training and 18 months dedicated to raising awareness and funds for CanTeen, the organisation for young people living with cancer the big day was almost upon me……..More
06 April 08
Walking the Amazon trip under way On April 2nd 2008, Ed Stafford and Luke Collyer started their attempt to walk over 4,000 miles from the source of the Amazon River in southern Peru to the mouth in Brazil. The expedition will be uninterrupted and is expected to last between 16 and 18 months……More
04 April 08
Peter Rietveld – Run for your Lives 2008 And another restday, looking like a holiday here and so it feels. Mind you I have been working out the last three months after coming back from Ethiopia. In Addis Abeba was a very nice hill where I ran up every morning having a great view over the city, but in the project there was logically considerable less possibilities to run………More
Martin Fryer – 24hrs on a treadmill I think it was sometime in early January this year when Ian Cornelius, President of the Australian Ultra Runner’s Association (AURA), sent around an email seeking expressions of interest for participating in a 24 hour treadmill race…….More
Updates from Australian Ultra scene ……More
31 Mar 08
Glen Turner finishes Run – Zoom across the USA Glen has reached Tybee Island, GA and has successfully finished his journey! His total distance is 4,233 km in 37 days 1 hour and 18 minutes. Congratulations Glen!……..More
The Jornada del Muerto beckons This blog is new. I’m a little nervous, after all this is my first time blogging. I feel the need to “catch you up to date” on what’s about to happen, as this blog is coming to life as my preparations for a major walk are just about complete. If there’s a single underlying purpose (at least for the next month) to this blog, it will be to carry the tales as my walk unfolds. Here’s a little background:……….More
29 Mar 08
Brett’s Run for Canteen – On now
24 Mar 08
Shaun Brewster – Portland to Melbourne On Tuesday March 25th 2008, I will commence the journey towards my hometown Portland from Melbourne, on foot. The distance from the heart of Melbourne city to Portland is roughly 370kms. This distance equates to running roughly 2 marathons per day for 5 consecutive days. If all goes well, I will be home on Saturday March 29th 2008…….More
Tony Mangan – running through my fears Just after 24 hours into the Across The Years 72 hour race I grabbed a water bottle from my table while running at full speed. My right foot hit the kerb. I bounced off the table and went into orbit. In slow motion I seemed to spin around and around as though I was in a spin dryer……..More
Irish Poker Playing 24hr Ultra Champ Dara O’Kearney has made a good start to the year by beating a high quality field in the European Deep Stack Champinship held in Droegheda over the weekend…….More
21 Mar 08
Brave runner to take on Two Oceans All his life Darryl Howe was told that he would never walk; now the 30-year-old who was born with cerebral palsy will be competing in the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon after having completed eight marathons in the past seven years……..More
Canberra 2 day Walk – 2008 The Canberra International Walking Weekend is a non-competitive event open to everyone. The walking weekend is usually held late March/early April each year. The next walk will be held on 29-30 March 2008…….More
20 Mar 08
Brent Weigner on Growing Bolder He has run ultra-marathons on every continent on the planet, which has taken him to nearly 100 countries and to the North Pole for races. Ultra-marathons involve distances of 26 miles or more and many of them are 100 miles long…….More
Jim Sullivan on Growing Bolder The 55-year-old has completed 240 marathons and apparently that wasn’t enough. So, now, he’s into ultramarathons, which are usually 50 or 100 miles long and involve extreme courses…….More
News from Colac The Colac Velodrome has been measured by Dave Cundy and is certified at 444m a lap and this has now been sent off to the IAU for ratification……..More
17 Mar 08
Jamel Balhi – running the world I started to run to escape. To run away from society, things I didn’t like, boredom. I wanted to go to the sun, to meet nice people, just like when you go on holiday. I felt like going away, being on holiday forever! But it was essentially a rejection of society, the consumer society that makes fools of us, with silly fashions. And I wanted to go to Asia………More
16 Mar 08
Never mind Beijing Forget Beijing. Madcap Irishman Colin Carroll, part-time sumo “flyweight” and a world champion in elephant polo, has unveiled plans to launch the “Paddy Olympics.”……More
Less than 50 days until PACE run starts In 49 days “Bob” (the stroller) and I will be starting the 620-mile trek on the North Dakota/Montana border… running west and racing thousands of school children from around the world…….More
14 Mar 08
Paul Ashton’s 100 Mile for MIND I am doing a little run (100miles / 160km) next month in the Australian Alps with the aim of a) Making myself very tired b) Loosing weight c) Having fun and d) most importantly raising funds for the Mind Scholarship program……..More
12 Mar 08
Vale Ken Matchett Was sad news today to read that Melbourne Ultra runner, Ken Matchett had passed away……..More
Dr Andy Lovy named USA 24hr Team Doctor Roy Pirrung, team manager of the 24-hour National Team announced that Dr. Andy Lovy has been selected to be the team doctor for the 2008, IAU World Challenge…….More
10 Mar 08
Yiannis Kouros challenges Dean Karnazes Proposal from Yiannis Kouros’ racing manager To whom it may concern, I represent Mr Yiannis Kouros, as his racing
manager. Because too much and foolish noise has been made from one self-made
³ultra-marathonner² and from the deceived and/or paid media, I propose the
following:……….More
2 Mar 08
71 year old to tackle the Marathon Des Sables A 71-year-old woman in Saitama Prefecture will run the Marathon Des Sables ultramarathon, one of the world’s most grueling sporting challenges, becoming this year’s oldest runner and the oldest Japanese ever…….More
Mackey’s team seeks Iditarod glory When Lance Mackey strings his team along Fourth Avenue for this morning’s Iditarod ceremonial start, a non-timed, 11-mile puppy parade through Anchorage’s streets and urban trails, six of his dogs will begin their chase for an unprecedented four-peat……More
1 Mar 08
Walking the Great Wall In August this year (2008) will fly to Beijing from there I will travel west to my starting point at the Jiayuguan Pass. I will then proceed east through the towns of Suzhou, Shandan, Jinchang, Yinchuan, Yulin, Zhangjiakou, Qinhuangdao until successfully complete my journey at the Shanhaiguan pass……..More
Walking the Amazon In April 2008, Ed Stafford and Luke Collyer will attempt to walk over 4,000 miles from the source of the Amazon River in southern Peru to the mouth in Brazil. The expedition will be uninterrupted and it is expected that it will take 16 to 18 months to complete…….More
Running for Walking In 2008 I am planning on running from Winston Salem North Carolina to my home town of Salem Ohio to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. I am looking for financial, moral, and physical support……More
29 Feb 08
De La Varre and his new book Don’t tell Rene Paul de la Varre that it’s impossible to run away from one’s problems.Maybe “away” is the wrong word. “From” might be better … as in, “out of,” “starting at” or “beginning with.”…….More
Iditarod Trail Invitational now on Congratulations to Dario and Philip for a great run into McGath! Jose and Joseph made it into Puntilla and are in good cheer and good shape. They both plan to leave in the morning for Rohn. Rob has a large group of foot racers into Rohn and they will more than likely head out in the morning. Nikolai has not had any racers arrive as of 8:30pm they may have stopped at Bison Camp or will be in late tonight……….More
100 mile in Kuwait It was 6 a.m. in Kuwait when the race began. The finish line for Ruben Cavazos, 48, was 100 miles away, but every agonizing step helped raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project……More
450 mile run in New Jersey Running a 26.2-mile marathon is tough enough for most.Imagine doing nearly three of them in one day. And then repeating that incredible madness for six straight days. That’s what ultramarathoner Jody-Lynn Reicher plans to do the week of April 21-27 when she attempts to run the length of New Jersey not once, but twice…….More
27 Feb 08
The Six Foot Seven WHEN seven runners raced the length of the historic Six Foot Track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves in 1984, they had no idea they were launching an event that would soon rival the big-budget, corporate-sponsored marathons of the capital cities…….More
Project Sahara – Pressure Point Two brothers, mates, fathers inspire challenge and motivate each other in the lead up to the biggest race of their lives. These passionate, creative philanthropists will run six marathons in seven days across the Sahara Desert, dubbed one of the most physical and mentally challenging footraces on earth – Le Marathon des Sables (Marathon of the Sands)…….More
23 Feb 08
Feedback needed for Distance Running Article I am a writer, psychology researcher and runner, working on an article for my psychology website (Neurotransmission.org) about the psychology of distance running. Part of the story will relate to the career of Dean Karnazes, an athlete whose reputation clearly inspires strong reactions in Ultra circles…….More
Verofit Sports drinks I had a drink this morning of the Verofit Regeneration energy Supplement this morning after training ( yes the webmaster is in training). Tasted ok and the body seemed to handle it ok………More
Suhail said
Bangalore Ultra 2008
After its remarkable success last year, Runners For Life brings the longest run back to Bangalore.
Are you keen to break the mould and do the unthinkable? Then the Bangalore Ultra Marathon is for you!
Bangalore Ultra 2007 had participants from all over India. It is without doubt on its way to becoming one of the premier running events in the country. The scenic trail route is a welcome diversion when compared to several other road running events in India.
The second edition of the Bangalore Ultra Marathon will be held this year on November 16th, 2008. Registration for the Bangalore Ultra Marathon will be open from August 15th, 2008 onwards.
Considering the fact that last year’s event was sold out, make sure you don’t miss out on it this time around!
In the meanwhile if you have any queries, you can contact the organisers at bangaloreultra@runnersforlife.com
Bangalore Ultra – Its Tough. Are You?
carr said
English Ultra-Runner Kevin Carr Completes First ever SOLO Off-Road (Fell/Trail) Run between Lands End -John O’Groats (The two furthermost points of the United Kingdom).
1,254 mile mountain-marathon: Lands End -John O’Groats
——————————————————————————–
On the 12th of July I completed the Lands End-John O’Groats fell/trail run I’d been planning for sometime. (I posted here back in April/May – and received some great advice concernng route choice etc). As the support crew dropped out at late notice I had to run the challenge Mountain-Marathon style.
I should have written this report much earlier but since the run I’ve found it diffcult to motivate myself to even get out of bed somedays – never mind much else, I suppose fatigue comes into it – but I didn’t really feel tired, just plain depressed; perhaps result of an endorphin crash? Anyway I’m starting to feel more like myself again now and have finally got round to writing about the run- the last stage anyway, which I hope explains my delay in posting.
The week following the run I kept waking in cold sweats several times a night, sometimes accompanied with tears, in a confused state with one thought going round my head “I can’t do more, it’s not possible” – somehow I kept thinking that; I hadn’t quite finished and had more to do – or I kept returning to the last week in Scotland.
After that week my sleep became more normal, but I realised I felt really uncomfortable talking about the run, I actively tried to not think about it as it made me feel sick and nervous and scared – it might sound melodramatic but through a mixture of poor choices (made when tired) and over-enthusiastically estimating my abilities I found myself ill equipped to handle the task before me, I dramatically and unnecessarily magnified the levels of stress (emotional and mental and physical) that I had to face, to the extent that the experience was traumatic.
The body perceives little difference between the source of stress, i was already pushing my body close to it’s limits through physical and mental stress, adding emotional stress could and should have been avoided with better planning, however it wasn’t.
The state of over-training/under-performance syndrome and clinical depression share nearly identical signs and symptoms, leading some experts to claim the two are one and the same, essentially a fatigue of the entire organism – a burnt out central-nervous-system, not a localised muscular fatigue, it can take weeks-months even years to overcome; I’ve learnt to read my body quite well and know I am now starting to recover from the ordeal. (external signs such as writing this, and joining a gym to cross-train, regaining fitness are obvious indicators of a better state of mind also).
The first 5 weeks of the run went fine 1000.5 miles – a handful of blisters, very manageable levels of fatigue. The last 8 days was very different, 254 miles over much tougher terrain (wild fell/mountainous terrain). The extra miles per day over tougher terrain was a much tougher effort physically and the mental effort in controlling motivation was greater but this was part of the foreseen challenge, I was looking forward to it and had prepared for it.
The big mistake was food. the run had always been planned as a supported effort – a motorhome following me, a warm bed each night, company and dry clothes etc would all have been nice, but most importantly was being able to control what and when I ate – having meals carefully planned and packed in the van. without the support crew I had to eat what I could find as and when I came across outlets, in England this was manageable but hardly ideal – not many health-food shops along the Pennine way selling protein shakes, electrolytes and healthy oat bars; my diet consisted of chocolate, cola and crisps – with salt sachets taken for electrolytes – it got the job done.
in Scotland, north of Fort William things went very bad. I ran out of cash in Fort William and was severely limited to how much food I could purchase, still I wasn’t going to give up; I calculated a minimal calorie intake I thought I could run on (this called for me to lose almost a lb a day in stored fat, but I knew although uncomfortable it was possible – In training I fast twice a week for upto 24hrs before running 20+mile runs to teach my body to run on fat first and treat sugar as a added bonus if present).
I did the calculations fine, but in the shop (prob’ due to fatigue) I incorrectly divided the weekly amount of calories and bought 1000cals less per day than I needed. I didn’t realise this until 2 days of running/eating later when the rations seemed to be shrinking quite fast. I emptied my sack and counted the calorie of all the food – I had enough for 1,200 cals a day if I could maintain a strong pace. I was using over 7000 a day – this would mean losing over 1.5lbs a day for 5-7 days, a state possible to push through if hiking but very tough if running(walking in a well trained athlete can be done on fuelled from fat stores, so long as the fat is there to burn, running even in highly trained athletes requires some sugar – this would have to be found by destroying body muscle, in this state the brain becomes foggy – it’s preferred fuel of glucose being absent) , I began to worry, to be more efficient I had to slow the pace.
North Scotland called for many river crossings, most of which are impossible if the rivers are in-spate. Early on the fourth day of that week I was half way up a climb to a shoulder I had to pass when I heard lightning, then again – it was getting closer. I should have dropped not to safety, but with the lightning came heavy rain I had to cross a large river on the other side of the pass, If I dropped and waited for the storm to pass the river would be in spate – which might mean camping and waiting for the water to drop or a 15mile tarmac detour to a road bridge and back – both options were impossible on with the food restrictions I had, I had to cross the river that day (there was two more mountains and one other sizeable river to cross that day) I pushed on and up, trying to silence the voice in my head calling me stupid and reckless – climbing in a storm. The rain lasted all day, I didn’t stop to change into waterproofs, keeping a fast pace to generate body heat, after crossing the river, the next pass was littered with burns that had swelled to the size of fast streams/small rivers, it was a pathless pass and the going was slow; it was too late when I realised I’d not changed into waterproofs in-time. I was cold to the extent of shivering (yes in July) as I ran, I changed layers but for the rest of the day I was physically and mentally slower than normal – having let myself become dangerously wet and cold in windy conditions. My pace was well behind schedule, the ground being more difficult to cover when so wet underfoot; and my shivering cold body reusing to generate the effort I was asking of it. I realised I had to pick up the effort and pushed harder, this just led to repeatedly tripping over obstacles and falling over- landing on boggy marshy land and feeling like I was getting wetter/colder (not possible when wet to the skin and cold to the bone but it definitely felt that way). after one fall I shot up and carried on running ( a force of habit from fell running, a sprained ankle usually only stiffens if allowed to stiffen, if you can keep running although extremely painful for a minute or two it remains agile and useable). But everything was dizzy, I don’t recall what hit where, I know I was winded from my back slamming on the ground, perhaps my head had whipped back and received a sizeable blow also – I felt panicked and dizzy and scared, I had ran over 1000 miles and fell just twice, this was my 4/5th fall of the day it was disconcerting, which accounts for feeling scared (I was lucky not to have fell on a rocky section) but the dizziness could only be explained by a blow to the head, I hoped it wouldn’t get worse.
It wasn’t all bad – at this point I was running through a Glen surrounded by Munroe’s – the most remote and stunning location I have ever ran in – and I wasn’t just running here – I had ran here! All the way from the tip of the country, I knew I was doing great.
After a few more miles of running, the dizziness still very much hampering my progress, I realised I had to stop being foolish and persisting in a dangerous state, running in over rocky tracks and boggy moorland in a remote area un-supported is dangerous enough, running over the rocks in the rain when dizzy is plain stupid no matter how much stopping might feel like ‘giving up’ I had to call the plug on that days effort at just under a marathon distance had been covered (I needed to cover 40miles).
The unplanned stop meant taking an evening’s meal from the rations, and an unplanned breakfast – I recalculated my rations, My stomach was aching I had food in-front of me and couldn’t touch it.
The next day I woke feeling surprisingly well (the night spent in a Bothy instead of the foil survival blanket I bivi’d in must have helped). I began running, always keeping the food rations and corresponding my pace to this the pace was slow-to slow. On the rations I had to slow the pace to be able to run and not walk, but slowing the pace, meant adding extra days – where again the food would run out there was no way around it, tried as I might to recalculate the problem, it simply wasn’t possible to run.
I kept running along, tears began and kept on streaming down my face, not tears of self pitty but almost of shock and disbelief – I’d trained and planned my life around this event for months (on top of years of running training to be able to even consider a challenge of this scale) and I was only 150 miles from completing my dream. I was about to be forced to stop not because I was injured or ran out of steam, I knew I could finish the run I was so close I could almost taste it but something so stupid as poor arithmetic when tired had made me bring too little food.
I could feasibly walk/crawl to the finish without food – i.e. complete the goal of reaching John O’Groats but that would be a very sad way to end a ‘run’ I had to find a way to run – I needed more fuel.
I knew there was a hotel in around 20 miles, I had to make a tough decision; I had to put the attainment of my goal/dream in someone else’s hands, I had to give up trying to do something impossible by myself and ask for help. After resuming eating as and when my appetite demanded, instead of rationing the fuel I began to run much stronger, still I felt sick.
The whole outcome of months of my life came down to the decision of the owner/manager of a Hotel who I’d never met before, I looked and smelt much worse than any tramp (this Hotel caters for Salmon fisher men- very wealthy posh clientele) just the sight of me in their establishment could have put their backs up.
Fear and confidence come in many different flavours, I had the confidence to stand at one end of the country and begin running with the firm belief I could reach the other end, I overcame my fear of having less than perfect navigation skills to run through the mountains of Scotland yet, walking into a building looking a stranger in the eye and asking for their help was a much scarier prospect – not just because if they said no it meant the end of my challenge, but I lacked the confidence to face rejection/ask for help anyway.
It is incredibly humbling to have to explain you cannot afford to eat, and to place the success of your dream in the hands of a stranger.
I entered the hotel, and explained what i was doing and then “I’m 130miles from completing the first ever LEJOG off-road run, I know I can complete the run but I have very little food and even less cash, without your help I cannot make it”
luckily once realising the run was for a good cause they obliged, and sent me away with a pack so full of food it was too heavy to run with; for a couple of hours i had to walk and eat to lighten the load before a shuffle-jog could be maintained, after more copious eating I had a bag light enough and legs refuelled to a level I could begin running again.
I don’t really think I have the writing skills to convey just how stressful the 20mile run towards that hotel was, and the act of asking for help. I was either running to a heart warming refuel/pitstop or the end of my challenge – I had no way of knowing until I arrived and asked.
Even after this help a couple days later food was again low, 93miles from the finish I had to make one big push – foregoing sleep as much as possible to finish the run before the food finished (there was no more hotels left to pass – the next available food was the finish).
I began running at 7am – finished at 5pm the following day, 93 miles in 34 hours, the single most traumatic day of the event, the final 20 miles having to be on tarmac – my hips and knees screamed in agony (the shock of the shoes being useless after 700+miles of running) i was essentially running barefoot on the road with a heavy 9+kg backpack in the rain, it rained all day. I hadn’t the energy to run fast enough to generate warmth from body-heat, the waterproof I had had started the run one of the best pieces of kit you could buy, after hundreds of miles of abrasion from the rucksack shoulder and chest straps it did next to nothing to repel rain, i only wore it as it provided some warming, much in the way a wetsuit works by trapping water between my skin and the outer layer I hoped that water would be warmed by body-heat, and take heat away from me slower than fresh rainwater on the skin – it probably worked to some extent, but I was cold all day. The pounding on asphalt sending shockwaves through cold tendons was agonising.
This time it was tears of pain that streamed down my face- at least the rain was so heavy i didn’t have to worry about being embarrassed, a grown man crying in public by passing motorists, it was impossible to notice the tears in the rain.
There was the physical pain and exhaustion, there was again fear though, the previous night around 11pm running over the boggy plateau near knockfin heights (stupidly taking what I thought would be a quick bearing across the plateau I spent hours running around bogs in the twilight – it never really gets dark that far north that time of year), I noticed the sky flash – but there was no rumble or clap, how can you have lightning without noise – it doesn’t happen, again it flashed I looked all around, everything looked still, no sign of lightning no noise then it went again. this time I saw more clearly what had happened, the sky hadn’t flashed brighter, my vision was flashing on and off, making the sky appear like it was flashing on. I didn’t know what would cause your vision to flash on and off, I remember reading karnazes having vision problems in his first 100mile run, although he never mentions what may have caused the problem, i hoped it wasn’t serious, just an electrolyte or sugar imbalance that could be fixed later; still whatever was causing the problem I sure as hell didn’t know how to treat it, and couldn’t get help where I was, it was caused by my running but stopping in the middle of nowhere wouldn’t help the condition. If I stared intently at the ground just a few metres in-front of me then I could remember the next few foot strikes of terrain i had to negotiate as and when the fake-lightning flashed this went on for about half an hour and then went I felt fine, I’d been popping caffeine and paracetamol tablets that day; had i overdossed? I didn’t think so I counted my empty packets to check it seemed fine (still I’d had trouble counting my calories when stood still in a shop after a couple of coffees and a big lunch in Fort William – cold and tired running with blinking vision in the middle of nowhere, it was quite likely I could have been wrong again) eventually I found a track I would have met much earlier if I’d followed Thurso river rather than trying to take a direct route across the moor, running along I felt calmer the running was much easier, the track reflecting the moonlight and making running much easier, it was cold but after a while I felt a thick layer of sweat around my mouth and neck which puzzled me, why was I sweating at this effort at this temperature and why localised sweat – if anything I’d expect sweat on my brow not my chin; I wiped the sweat away with the back of my hand and was pretty worried when I realised it was sticky, looking at my hand it was caked in blood – I’d been bleeding from my nose for some time, I was worried, strange as it seems not for my health but at the thought of not completing my goal – I was so single-mindedly focused the challenge seemed more important than myself. Again I had to calm myself- going into shock is dangerous and useless, wastes energy, weakening you very fast. I talked myself down, walked for a while pinching my nose and tilting my head to force a clot. what would cause my vision to fail and then my nose to bleed, i was sure I hadn’t overdosed – I checked again, I didn’t even have enough drugs to have overdosed. Whatever had caused the problem I didn’t know how to treat it, and I doubt it would get better just by lying down and waiting for help – I walked for a while and lucked out big time by finding an unlocked summer house next to the track which was on a private estate, the estate owners had been kind enough to let hikers/fishermen etc to make use of their building – it was not a Bothy but I decided to rest until the bleeding stopped.
Some 13 hours later I was running along, every now and then I was scared that perhaps I’d damaged something internally – although apart from the actual symptoms of vision and bleeding problems I felt fine (as good as you can feel after 1000miles of running) my main worry was that it would come back, maybe worse – perhaps I would black out, the vision switching off and not switching back on, or the bleeding would become persistent, I had to push the thoughts to the back of my mind. It took every trick I had up my sleeve to ignore both physical and mental pain at the same time, eventually I began realising I kept slowing to a walk and then halting – my legs just wouldn’t listen to me anymore. I refused to walk for any length of time this was a run, I’d prefer to stop wait until I could summon enough drive to push my legs on and run until they refused to be tricked and stopped again, this went on for the 11 out of the last 13miles.
The last two miles I ran in with a real rage, I was hungry to finish the challenge – to silence the voice that kept telling me it was ok to stop and walk or just stop full stop.