By Kate Allman -
People already think you’re crazy for running marathons and now you tell them you want to run an ultra? You’ll need this training guide.
For most keen runners, completing a marathon is the peak of training goals. But we all know lawyers set higher standards than most. Those who want to go the extra mile(s) might like to stretch their legs in an ultramarathon. This incredibly challenging endurance race is defined as any distance running event that is longer than a marathon (42.2km). Devoted ultra runners will argue anything less than 50 kilometres doesn’t count.
Distances for some of the more popular Australian events range from 50 kilometres in the annual “Ultra Trail Australia”, held in the Blue Mountains, to the 246-kilometre “Coast to Kosciuszko” event that finishes on top of Australia’s highest mountain. Ultramarathons are long, but they can also take runners on rocky bush trails, through high altitudes and all sorts of variable terrain. This adds an extra layer of challenge for runners used to pounding the pavement around their city offices after work.
