Ultramarathon

An ultramarathon is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 mi 385 yd). The sport of running ultramarathons is called ultra running or ultra distance running. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively. The shortest common ultramarathon is 31 miles (50 km), and 100 miles (160 km) is typically the longest course distance raced in under 24 hours, but there are also longer multi-day races commonly held as 48 hours, 200 miles (320 km), or more, sometimes raced in stages with breaks for sleep. The oldest and largest ultramarathons are held on roads, including the Comrades Marathon (more than 10,000 finishers annually) and Two Oceans Marathon (more than 6,000 finishers annually). Many ultramarathons have historical significance, including the Spartathlon, based on the 246 km run of Greek messenger Pheidippides from Athens to Sparta during the Battle of Marathon in a day and a half to seek aid against the Persians. Ultra running World Championships are held by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) for 50 km, 100 km and 24 hours. The Global Organization of Multi-Day Ultramarathoners (GOMU) holds World Championships for 48 hours and six days. World records are ratified and recognized by World Athletics (50 km and 100 km), the IAU (50 km up to six days), and by GOMU (48 hours up to 5000 km). Ultramarathons also overlap with the sports of trail running and mountain running. Some 100-mile (160 km) races are among the oldest and most prestigious events, especially in North America. The oldest and also the largest trail race is the SainteLyon 78-kilometre (48 mi) in France (more than 5,000 finishers annually). Many ultramarathon organizers are members of the International Trail Running Association (ITRA), an organization that evaluates the difficulty of specific ultramarathon routes according to a number...