Ultramarathons: Challenging oneself to conquer the extreme
CHIKMAGALUR: It’s 5am and a thick mist shrouds the coffee plantations here in mystery. As we move farther uphill, a civet cat crosses the path, probably returning to its base after a night of excursion. A distinct nip in the air only adds to the eeriness of the silent woods.
Yet, this is not a safari, and it becomes evident as our car comes to a halt in front of the Lalbagh Estate. The sun is yet to kiss the Sahyadris with its first light but the warmth of the energy around is infectious. An 800-plus strong group of runners is warming up for the Coffee Day Malnad Ultra, one of three ultramarathon races in India that has found its place in the IAAF-recognised International Association of Ultrarunners’ (IAU) 2018 calendar. While some of the competitors are professionals, there are a great number of amateurs seeking to go that extra mile in this ever-growing athletics discipline.
Any race over the distance of
42.195 km or 26.219 miles can qualify as an ultramarathon. However, the most popular distances are the 50km, 80km and 100kms.
The ultra running competitions are judged on two parameters — either over a fixed distance or a fixed time. The courses can also vary. While there are some like the Malnad Ultra which is a trail race, there are others that happen on track. There are road running too. Some races are a combination of terrains.
The ultramarathon has been a prevalent feature for a long time and in 1988 the world athletics
body IAAF recognised IAU as the governing body of the discipline. The IAU organises championships at the world as well as continental level in four categories – 50km, 100km, 24 hours race and trail (80km). While going beyond the marathon distance is an added thrill, pushing the body and mind to its ultimate limit is what has made the discipline’s popularity soar over the last decade. In India, according to indiarunning.com which lists races across the country, there are close to 40 ultramarathons scheduled from October 27, 2018 to August 17, 2019. Same is the case worldwide — Runultra.co.uk has over 1800 races scheduled worldwide this year.
“The survival instinct needs to be strong to finish such an endurance race,” says Jo Meek, a veteran runner from the UK who participated in the prestigious Ultra Trail Mont Blanc in September.
The conditions can be even more gruesome especially for races in high altitude like: La Ultra – the high. Held in Ladakh, the race has three categories 333km, 222km and 111km. The 333km stretch requires to cross three mountain passes at over 5300m (17,388 feet) and it has to be done within 72 hours.
If that doesn’t sound challenging enough there are races like the Marathon des Sables, which has a course of 257km traversing the Moroccan Sahara desert.
Then there is the UTMB or the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc –the Holy Grail of ultra trail marathoners. It is a mountain race in the Alps with a distance of approximately 171km.
“When I started, the runners were mostly middle-aged or those who had given up speed running and focused on endurance. But things are changing. The competitors are getting younger and finish times are getting better,” says the 41-year-old Jo.
Hayden Hawks, 27, took up ultra marathon in 2016 and is now one of the top six ultra-marathoners in the world. He finished first in the 50 km stretch at Malnad Ultra clocking four hours and 19 minutes. “For me, mountains have always been the thing. It’s about discovering myself, going deep in my reserves in extreme conditions. More companies are sponsoring athletes. So they can run and make money, which was not the case five years ago. Also, lot of people are nowadays going outdoors, running marathons and trekking. That has added to the growth of the sport,” Hawks said.