By Grace Romund (The Cascade) – Email
Date Posted: November 1, 2011
Print Edition: October 26, 2011
Many people go for a run from time to time for a bit of exercise. In fact, many people even run marathon distances. But what happens when you have conquered the marathon? Ultramarathons, as the name suggests, are even longer running races than 42 km marathons, and attract extreme athletes.
An ultramarathon, by definition, is any running race over the marathon distance of 42 km. The most common distances are 50 km, 100 km, 50 miles (about 80 km), and 100 miles (about 160 km). The sport of ultramarathon running exists around the world, and you can find ultramarathon events worldwide (even in Antarctica!). This seemingly crazy sport has gained popularity in the past couple decades, and the International Association of Ultrarunners regulates and sanctions over 1000 ultramarathon distance races for over 100,000 ultramarathon runners today.
The Cascade had the opportunity to discuss this physically ambitious sport with an avid marathon and ultramarathon distance runner. Neil Wakelin, Running Room Vancouver area manager and race director for British Columbia, has run over 125 marathons and many ultramarathons as well.
“I actually have been running ultras for over 20 years. Back when I started there weren’t very many races,” Wakelin said. “I’ve done everything from 50-100 km and 50-100 miles. I have run trails and mountains.”
Wakelin explained, “Living on the North Shore I thought it would be a great thing to run a race from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove which was an ultra distance.” The route Wakelin customarily ran from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove was on trails over Grouse, Black and Seymour mountains in between these two destinations, including of course the notorious Grouse Grind trail. “The year before it would become a reality I presented [the idea] to a running club, and they thought I was mad.”
The race which Wakelin envisioned came to be known as the Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run. Over the course of the Knee Knacker a participant climbs and descends over 16,000 feet. It is an almost 50 km race. It may seem extreme to run such great distances, and even more extreme to run such great distances over mountains no less, but Wakelin noted that most ultramarathons are trail races.
“Most [ultramarathons] are run on trails. I was the first race director to direct the Haney to Harrison race, which is on paved roads highways. Although, it is very unusual to run ultras on paved streets and highways.” Haney to Harrison is another local ultramarathon which was a 100 km race between Haney and Harrison, BC.
“It’s amazing to see what the body can do,” Wakelin noted, but he didn’t say ultramarathon running is for everyone. “It’s a very distinct group of athletes that have gone onto the trails and into the mountains to run ultras. It’s an individual thing. Some people will never run on or in trails. It’s a matter of passion, but anybody’s capable of doing anything if they put their mind to it.”
