Ultramarathon Daily News | Thurs, Apr 15

SCMP: What kind of trail runner are you? An All-American Ultramarathon Trail Pro? Unknown Elite Runner from the Chinese Mainland? Maybe a EuroRace or a Grizzled Veteran? Pretty funny generalizations of our culture.

Interesting: A “team” marathon event is coming to the Czech Republic next month. It’ll be scored somewhat like a xc race, but with team bonuses awarded for individual PRs and a few other quirks. Hats off to the RD for trying something new!

Speaking of marathons, the 1904 Olympic Games Marathon was the most awesome event ever. Hilarious read about booze, dehydration, cheating, etc. h/t Ross Tucker.

Running and air pollution: What you need to know. The worst air quality I’ve ever run was in New Delhi, India. I literally couldn’t see the hotel across the street. Next up was the Northern California fires last year…I think I made it two miles and turned around.

Des Linden sets a new World Record for 50k. Very cool that she crushed Dixon’s old mark, but personally, I just wasn’t very interested in this story. If it had been in a proper race or had a live feed of some sort, sure, but the way it was managed just didn’t appeal to me. Nothing against Josh Cox, but any time there’s an agent involved, it takes away from the intimacy and personal connection of our sport. Hopefully we’ll get to see her in a race format soon. Huge congrats.

Trail running at night as a “meditative fitness activity” sounds about right. Paddling too. There’s something very calming about repetitive motion when your senses are restricted by darkness.

Ten things science tells us about caffeine and athletes.

I’m not really up to date on my powerlifting stats, but I do know that Ryan Hall deadlifting 500 pounds is pretty impressive. What a weird transformation, right?

Drug testers have had a hell of a time this past year busting athletes for doping.

9 Responses to "Ultramarathon Daily News | Thurs, Apr 15"

scott says:

April 15, 2021 at 7:18 am

With Ryan, he traded one sport that is very quantifiable for another one. They tick the same boxes emotionally. I was really into weightlifting before running.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  April 15, 2021 at 12:13 pm
  
  Good point. Both require lots of training and discipline.
  
  Reply
Will says:

April 15, 2021 at 9:36 am

The Des Linden 50k world record is a good example why I think the best ultrarunners should focus on the trail stuff. Des, an elite marathoner but certainty not the best in the world and on the tail end of her marathoning career, was able to demolish the 50k world record, seemingly on a whim. For all the hoopla made about Jim’s 100k record attempt, if an elite Kenyan were to focus for 6 months on the 100k I am pretty sure that they would go sub 6.

When I see road and track ultramarathon performances, I am not convinced that I am looking at the pinnacle of human potential. I do get that sense when I watch things like Killian running in the mountains, Jim Walmsley at Western States, and Courtney Dauwalter running in the 200+ mile range.

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Alex says:

April 15, 2021 at 10:28 am

I dunno about that. I would think your hypothetical Kenyan would be able to break Walmsley’s WS record about as easily as they could the 100K WR. It’s not like training around Iten is flat and paved, or that WS has a great deal of technicality or elevation to contend with. But this all exists on a continuum, and it’s silly to talk about ultras as one thing. We all know a road 50K has more in common with a road marathon than Hardrock has with Umstead, no matter how we classify things.

But it’s all moot anyway. People have been speculating on what ‘real’ elites would do to various ultra records forever–and they’ll probably keep doing so, because it’s not (and not likely to be) a big enough niche to attract the absolute best pure endurance runners in the world.

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Will says:

April 15, 2021 at 10:53 am

Fair enough Alex. The hypothetical Kenyan is indeed hypothetical. I would just point out that elites in the Olympic distances still have to weigh questions concerning absolute and comparative when choosing between the 5k and the marathon.

I do think that trail and ultrarunning has “real” elites as you say, I just want them to focus on what sets them apart as elite. There is an opportunity cost associated with big efforts.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  April 15, 2021 at 12:20 pm
  
  I think I’m agreeing with you guys.
  
  A 50k is cool, but it’s hardly representative of “real” ultramarathon events. (I use that term not as a pejorative, but only because I’m lacking in another descriptor.) The 100th fastest East African marathoner could demolish any 50k record out there, given the right amount of ~~persuasion~~ money.
  
  Once we move up to technical trails and 100+ mile distances, the conversation gets a lot more interesting. In my opinion, most of the standard, non-technical course records in North America would fall, but at the same time, I don’t believe there’s any woman on earth who could come close to Courtney’s performances at the ultra ultra distances. She’s truly in a class of her own.
  
  Reply
Alex says:

April 15, 2021 at 5:04 pm

I think I probably didn’t use the scare quotes very effectively, there. Certainly ultra running has elite athletes; I only meant that people have been “no true Scotsman-ing” them forever, and will probably keep doing so, because I don’t see the best of the best Diamond Leaguers and WMM competitors moving. I’m happy to celebrate the fastest people who have done a thing, no matter what someone else might do an an alternate universe.

But yeah, I think everyone knew Des would smash this. The 100k record is much stouter and Comrades has her attention—so this may have just been an appetizer.

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Peter says:

April 17, 2021 at 2:16 am

As far as world records go that one was a really low hanging fruit that someone should have picked years ago – but big kudos to Des for not taking just one minute of it, she could have done that, and then one more minute next month, and next, and next – but instead she became the first woman under 3 hours and that landmark can never be taken away from her.

That said, there are probably at least ten kenyan and ethiopian women who could take it below 2:55 any given sunday, maybe even down to near 2:50.

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Kevin Crozier says:

April 19, 2021 at 5:36 pm

An in-depth and somewhat darker look at the aforementioned 1904 Olympic Marathon.

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