I'm training for the Antelope Canyon 50 miler which is in five weeks now. For my entire training time before now (staring in mid November) I've only done 2 runs longer than 20 miles. I've heard that generally it's not beneficial to do many runs longer than 3 hours and I've been struggling with motivation as most long runs are repetitive loops. I've done one organized 50k in that time and felt great physically. I'm getting around 50 miles a week in and hoping to get up to 65 or so on peak week. Should I try to get some longer runs in soon or will I be mostly fine?

I ran the orca island ultra. Made it 32 miles then fell due to injury last may. But when I was running someone called me a buffalo class racer. I had no clue what that meant, and laughed it off. I’m 200 lbs and 6 ft. Huge gym junky. I had no clue if it was a weight thing or just a joke. Kinda stuck with me as I trained. Kinda just turned it into a running joke with my running friends.

I would love to hear so insight, or if you know what it means let me know.

Anyone have any great advice for addressing runners knee? Thanks!

Anyone been following this batshit insane battle between Jamil Coury and Kevin Russ in Tempe? Whoever ends up Local Legend of the .22 mi segment at midnight tonight gets free Chipotle for a year, and they are going all out with lots of big mile days, including a 70 miler by Kevin on Wednesday! Jamil put up another 50 yesterday, but Kevin's Strava has not updated since Wednesday, and I wouldn't be surprised if that whack job has just been out there continuously since yesterday morning.

This has been so much fun to watch, and while I'm a little sad that it's coming to an end, I am very glad that these amazing competitors will finally get a chance to rest! And I think Chipotle really needs to hook them both up with the prize, because they've earned the hell out of it!

Which of these type of running belts do you find more comfortable?

I was under the impression that the elasticated running belts would be more constricting, which could get uncomfortable when wearing long periods of time, but I could be wrong

Any tips out there to avoid losing toenails? This is a common result for me...https://youtube.com/shorts/gMokZNrHNsA?feature=share

Hi All!

I live in a very flat area and the only way to train for the mountains is to take some time off and head somewhere like the Alps for a week or long weekend (in other words I can't do it very often). Last year I managed to wing it on my first ultra (47km ~2500m vert) by spending 5 days in the Swiss Alps a month before the race. This had the desired effect of wrecking my quads on the descents (my weakest area) so that they were nicely conditioned for the race, which I finished in just over 6 hours (couldn't walk for a week after though).

This year I'm thinking of attempting an 80km race with about 3700m of vert and am wondering if an extended version of what I did last year will do the trick or whether it'll just end in tears. If I could do 1 or 2 weeks of training in the mountains before the race, what would be the optimal time between the training and the race to get the best balance of adaption and recovery?

Or am I missing an alternative method to get the legs ready for such a distance?

Background on current training and fitness - I'm running ~70-90km p/w (on the flat) and have a recent 2:58 marathon time.

Thanks!

Hey guys, I am running my first marathon in April this year (Paris) and have set a goal to run at least one 50k ultra in Europe this year, too. Ideally, I'd like to do one in July-October time, and I'd like to hear from folks who have done a 50k race they've enjoyed and recommend! A lot of the UTMB races are already sold out. I prefer alpine running but I'm open to anything, and also open to longer distances! :)

EDIT: Thank you so much for the resources. I guess I am moreso looking for inspiration and to hear about 50k approx ultras in Europe that you guys have done and really enjoyed! Thanks! :)

Please bring me back down to earth. I am a total beginner runner. Currently beeing able to run 5km. Started some months ago. But since the beginning, in my head is our local ultra marathon with 120km.

Do you think with consistent dedication in this year I would be able to finish it? I am way too ambitious I think...

Before an ultra... Have you then made up your mind with different acceptable reasons to DNF?

Talked with my mom the other day about ultras. She will never understand. And was like "are you gonna stop if it blackens for your eyes?" I said "no I dont think so. For some it is pretty normal to hallucinate after 30 hours with no sleep. That is not dangerous. It is just your mind playing tricks on you."

But then I thought. What would actually be acceptable reasons to DNF? Initially I think it is if it hurts hurts. Like. Hurting when you know something is wrong. So I will just injure myself for a longer period if I continue. Something like those reasons.

But curious. What are your reasons? Or thoughts on this? Maybe we will see some different strategies here.

Extra info. I am going from 60k (longest race yet) to both 110k and 100 miles this year so that is gonna be another beast for sure.

What podcasts do you enjoy!

3 I enjoy are >> Ultra running Sam Tea & Trails Allie Bailey

I’m considering signing up for the Ouray 100 mile run in Colorado. The course looks beautiful and I appreciate the no frills philosophy it embodies. HOWEVER- the vert profile looks absolutely unattainable (40k ish of gain). Has anyone run this? Is this an okay first 100 miler? The furthest I’ve gone before is 50 miles and 8k feet of gain. I’d appreciate honest insight!

I've just started keto (4 days in) and definitely am not well adapted yet but I just finished my first run more than a couple hours long and I was wondering, how the hell am I suppossed to fuel without sugar?

ChatGPT said to fuel with fats (which makes sense - its keto) but, how and when? On a long run my usual strategy is just a gel (~25g of carbs) every 30 mins, with fats theres obviously more energy in it per gram but it takes longer to burn (i think) so how would this work?

Edit: chatgpt didn’t tell me to do keto, I just asked it a question about keto.

What’s the longest distance you’d feel comfortable training for on just 5 hours per week?

I was chatting with a friend about how much training time really matters for long-distance running. It got me wondering—if you only had 5 hours a week, what distance would you personally feel comfortable training for, given your own experience, physique, and ability?

Let’s say the week looks something like this:

One faster session (1h) Two slower runs (1h each) A longer run on the weekend (2h)

With that kind of schedule, what’s the max distance you’d feel prepared for?

I want to post this in case this is helpful. It’s a personal account of avoiding post-ultra depression.

Prior to my first ultra, I happen to run into a nutritionist/ultra runner. He warned me about post-ultra depression, which I was just hearing about for the first time.

As we spoke, I recalled running my first 42k marathon. After that marathon, I was emotionally low for about 2-3 days, but I thought it was just because I was tired.

The nutritionist gave me a fantastic tip - to focus on replenishing protein and amino acids to the extent possible. Apparently they play a vital role in replenishing the “feel-good” hormones.

So, after then 80k, I ate two plates of chicken rice (with lots of chicken), and proceeded to grab some protein bars and other protein-rich foods and ate them slowly over the next hour or so.

The following day, I felt perfectly fine. Yes, I was tired, but I was not emotionally down. In fact, I laughed and really enjoyed that day.

I don’t know if this is helpful, but it seemed to have worked for me. Hopefully others have found luck with this approach!

Hi Ultra folks,

I was running downhill and felt my hip/thigh hurting so bad I could barely continue to run. It had been hurting, more in the hip area for a week or two prior, but nothing that totally alarmed me. When it hit me, it hit me and I suddenly could not run. Limped for a solid two weeks and eventually got to the point where there's no intense pain. Just a deep, dull ache sometimes after a long walk. I haven't run for 2 months. Was just recently diagnosed with a Femoral Shaft Stress Fracture. (in the pic of the MRI you can see the white cloud on the left femur which is on the right side of the photo.)

Not a Femoral Neck Stress fracture which I know are much more common in female distance runners. I went online but am not find much information out there. My Dr. said it was a "rare" bone injury but not a 1 in a million diagnosis. Wondering if anyone else has experienced this and what your recovery was like? I'm just walking gently and doing more core and upper-body work than I normally would. I may start swimming. But, of course,, I'm just anxious to get back to training. I do have a Dexa-scan tomorrow. Hopefully no underlying bone issues. I was running 50-miles a week. No big spikes or ultras since I ran Cocodona in 2024. That's my tale from the trail. Reaching out to see if anyone has had the same injury? Thanks for any insight and happy trails everyone.

https://preview.redd.it/3545wyqp92ge1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b45d317042fbff7df76d0366cff90881066df6e0

Currently waiting to find out where I landed in the waitlist order. Hoping it’s close to the top as I registers 3 days after they open registration. Does anyone have any experience on how far down the waitlist usually goes? Like how many people usually get picked up off the waitlist each year?

Cheers!

Randy

Event: Taking place in ~3 weeks time; flat course of 20 x 5km loops starting at 5pm and running through the night (Southern Hemisphere so avoiding the heat of the day; course is reasonably well-lit). Self-supported but with table for drinks/gels every lap, and a water station half-way round. There's both a solo and team-based event happening at the same time so there'll be plenty of people on course.

Me: M mid-40s with a long-distant background in endurance cycling, and a more recent COVID-era running obsession. Focus has been on the marathon, becoming quite competitive in the last year or so (low 2:40s PR). Endurance is definitely a strength (all-out 5km pace not much faster than marathon pace) and I've averaged 100km+/week over the past few years without any injuries. PRs have been coming harder and harder, so I decided on a whim a month or so back to try an ultra. Almost all my training is alone in early hours (young kids) so feel reasonably well-placed to handle the mental side.

Race-specific training: last month focused on weekly steady long run of at least 3 hours (mostly 40km plus; longest so far 52km in 4 hrs) plus a mid-week long run of 1:45-2hrs and 1 or 2 threshold or interval workouts. Focusing on recovery I've dropped doubles altogether and added at least one rest day/week. Average over the last month has been 130km/week in 5 or 6 runs. I'm planning one final long-run / race dress-rehearsal this weekend of 65km on the race circuit (my hometown fortunately), starting at 7pm and aiming to finish in ~5 hrs, followed by a 3-week taper.

Race goal: a good experience obviously, but also hoping for a competitive time of sub-8hrs or possibly faster. 8hrs is 4:45/km pace; almost 1min/km slower than my MP and while not completely easy it's definitely not pushing hard.

Race plan: start at 4:45 pace - hopefully till half-way - and see how it feels! Barring a possible toilet break I'm planning to run through without stopping or walking for the whole distance if I can. Drinking ~5-600ml of electrolyte per hour (it'll be warm) and having a 30g gel every 20mins (no gut problems downing 10 or 12 of these on training runs so far). Not planning on taking any solids at this stage, intending to run in race shoes (Mizuno RP3), and cooling with water on head every lap as needed.

Question to the experts: Is this sensible for a first outing? And is the 65km dress-rehearsal 3-weeks out a good idea or is it too much?

TIA!

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for stunning locations to run 50-100 miles over a few days with a group of friends—ideally somewhere with epic scenery, solid trails, and a mix of challenge and beauty. We want something that’s runnable (not just a hiking grind) but still remote enough to feel like an adventure. Can be anywhere in the states.

If you’ve done something similar, I’d love to hear:

• Your favorite multi-day routes
• Best time of year to go (weather considerations)
• Permit requirements, if any
• Water sources or resupply tips
• Lodging/camping options along the way
• What camping gear we’ll need (especially lightweight options for runners)
• Any other logistical advice for a group

Our plan is to finish strong, then rent an Airbnb for a night to celebrate and recover. Would love to hear any recommendations from those who’ve done something like this before. Thanks in advance!

Last year (2024) I ran my first UTMB 100K at Transjeju, South Korea. It was great but sadly my Garmin 955 didn't last through the whole race and couldn't get my whole race data :(. It went to sleep after 68K (started with a full 100% charge). Race was 107 K. I bought my Garmin 955 in September of 2022 and worked great at 3 different Ultra 50K races through 2022 and 2023 and 3 marathons. I love my watch and I've been using this watch every day since I bought it and train every day with it. I understand that the life battery might be coming to an end, but I still want to use it until it can take no more since I'm saving for a new watch.

From your personal experience, I would like some help selecting my new Garmin (or another brand too) that would last for a whole 100 K Ultra (107K) race. I was eyeing the new Garmin 965 or Fenix 7 or 8 (not sure which version is best). I'll run the UTMB Mont-Blanc CCC this year and would like my watch to work through the whole race.
Thank you very much for your help

I have my third 50km ultra in a couple of months and am tempted by a 100km after that. What’s the biggest mindset shift needed to go from 50 to 100km?

I’m running my first 50k on Saturday, and a 4-day rain storm is rolling it. It looks like it will be raining the entire race. I actually love running in the rain as long as it’s not a downpour. Usually, I just wear a brimmed hat and have a light rain coat. However, I’m worried about running in the rain for that length of time/distance. The race also has almost 6k feet of elevation gain. I also feel like I might be getting a cold, but maybe that’s just nerves. Wondering if I should defer for a different race about a month out, or go for it. Worst case, I bail after the first loop and only run the 30k….which is good training regardless.

There is this loop trail close to where I live I would like to do in a single push. I plan to do it sometime in May. I’ve done a 50km hike on it before which took me 14hrs - I’m prepared to go for over a day. I did that without any real endurance training just mma. How should I prepare for it? Will marathon training suffice and then the rest will just be mental?

I ran 303k 3 day ultra last weekend. Only had 2 hours sleep. It was hard but I wouldn't say it destroyed me. It's 10 days later and my hrv is still super low in the red on garmin. Has anyone else experienced this? I've been sleeping well, would've thought it'd have recovered by now. I realise my body is probably still recovering a fair bit. Also showing no signs of illness.

I'm looking at getting a new hydration vest and these were the 2 most recommended brands. Which brand do you use and why?

Hello! I signed up for the London 2 Brighton a few months ago and following a training plan on runna. I’ve decided on this one as it is a(hopefully well) organised event.

Up to this point i’ve been running three times a week with my run club with a longer run on the weekend and hit the gym 5 days a week.

My questions is for prep what do i need to consider from other posts this is

• Elevation training (up and down) but to what end?

• Is the runna app okay to use as a program?

• Nutrition: How much should be eating are there any websites i should be looking at (i’ve only focused on protein and calories and on run days carbs).

• (potentially stupid) How will i know which way to go?

• What to bring on the day?

• What food should i be eating on the day (and try during practise runs)

• What should I know going into this as a novice?

• Will i have to alter my workouts during training?

I should note i’ll just be happy to finish and i’m less worried about achieving a certain time :)

Grateful for your time, cheers

50km ultra training help!

Hi all.

Bit of background. I weighed just over 20 stone on Jan 1st 2023. Spent the year running short distances but getting fit. 2024, I had lost 6 stone, and ran the Brighton marathon last April, as my first ever long distance race. I then did a 50km ultra last year in July, took me just over 6:30. I then scaled back and went for a few half marathon pbs until the new year. I’ve now got another ultra 50km I’m looking at for mid June this year. I feel experienced but also lost at the same time!!

I wanted to know what people used for training plans? I can see the Runna app which I’ve heard good things, there’s of course ChatGPT now, and a mountain of books and articles. I don’t have a great deal of money.

Amongst not knowing what to expect, last year I just felt so under prepared, even though I trained hard. I’m just very nervous to book until I’ve got a real solid training plan in place. But I need help in respect to the best app to use, a website, or even just how to create one.

I know I’m going to run 4 days a week, but it’s just hard when I’ve got nobody around me to ask. Any advice pointing me in the right direction would be massively appreciated.