What do you consider Ultra?

As the title says: What do you consider ultra? is it when it's more than a marathon?
What if it's a marathon on trails in the mountains? is that "just" marathon running?
is marathon distance ultra?

:D

I heard than anything just a bit over a marathon is considered to be an ultra, but then again I know nothing.:(
 
Looks such a great place to ran and it definetly is an ultra.
Are yoy doing it? I think NOT.
 
I'm fairly new to the Ultra scene but my definition is (and it is the same for marathons):

If I enter an official race and complete it, I have run an Ultra.

If I do my own run over 26.2 miles, then I run an Ultra Distance. I ran the Sedona Marathon with a 1 mile jog to the start line (full discloser, I walked the last 10 miles because of ITBS). I did not count this as an Ultra or Ultra distance even though the total was over 26.2. Last fall I ran 27 miles in mud, snow, technical trail, and big elevation gain. I did count this as a Ultra distance. Once in a while, I pat myself on the back for more extreme conditions.

Either way, I would consider myself an Ultra runner (even though most Ultras contain a large portion of hiking, walking, sitting in a chair at an aid station:), etc.), but I was hesitant to call myself that until I did an official Ultra.

Marathon or Ultra on the race you are considering? Since it has Marathon in the title, I would call the race a Marathon and you an Ultra runner after you complete it (or before, because I bet you are going to want to do an Ultra distance before the race), but no big deal either way, it looks like an incredible run.
 
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Technically anything more than marathon distance whether it be trails, road, easy or difficult. Took me a while to actually call myself an ultra runner and I still have a hard time admiting it to myself even though most of my races are 50ks and above.
 
Here's the official classification for all runs:

Micro = < 1 mi / 1 km
Mini = 1-3 mi / 1-5 km
Mezzo = 3-6 mi / 5-10 km
Macro = 6-13.1 mi / 10-21 km
Infra-Marathon = 13.1-26.2 mi / 21-42 km
Marathon = 26.2 mi / 42 km
Baby Ultra-Marathon = 26.2-30 mi / 42-50 km
Ultra-Marathon = 30-50 mi / 50 to 80 km
Supra-Ultra-Marathon = 50-100 mi / 80-160 km
Ultra-Supra-Ultra-Marathon = > 100 mi / 160 km
 
wait a minute Lee. you didn't pay me to have those official race titles. send me a check of $1000 each then you can start promoting those distances. until then please refrain from using those distances and retract your post.

thank you.
 
If you run something like 15 km run 4 times during one day, with 1 hour rest, are you doing ultra distance or just many short runs?;)
Interesting thought... I would venture to say that any total distance that is more than marathon distance completed in a 24-36 hr period is ultra. I suppose it might take some folks longer but if you have time to spare for 1 hr breaks more power to you. Personally, I'd rather be running than taking that long of a break.
 
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50K just doesn't seem like an 'ultra'. It's just five more miles (or so). But it is included in ultra magazines and such. Having run a couple 50 milers, and DNFed on a 100 miler, I know that they people who run those things almost invariably have a conversation at some point during the race in which they agree with each other that a 50K isn't an ultra. And, I gotta say, mentally, physically, spiritually, an ultra feels different. Sometime about the amount of time it takes. Like, all day. Or, in a 100 miler or 100K, running on into the night.
Anyways, if you can run a marathon, you can run a 50K, that's all I know for sure....
 
Interesting thought... I would venture to say that any total distance that is more than marathon distance completed in a 24-36 hr period is ultra. I suppose it might take some folks longer but if you have time to spare for 1 hr breaks more power to you. Personally, I'd rather be running than taking that long of a break.


Last year I did few this kind of single day multiple runs. In one continuous run at around 30 kilometer point I usually get really exhausted and sore, but I have done 25+20+15+5 with 1-2 hour rests and it wasn't that hard, even did last run with some speed.