Although Ealing Eagles don't currently offer any formal Ultramarathon training, several of our members are active ultramarathon runners.  David has kindly contributed the content on this page to assist those contemplating going beyond 26.2 miles.

Ultramarathon training

• http://www.ultramarathonrunning.com is a very good training reference, particularly the links to sites which have customised training plans
• Training is likely to include hill running and trail routes (rather than roads)
• Cross-training is highly recommended (i.e. swimming, cycling or other general fitness)
• Using a heartrate monitor to maximise each training session is also very helpful (Runnersworld publishes a guide on this)

Ultramarathon nutrition

• Getting used to eating on the run will help complete an ultra.
• Many runners use gels and bars which are adapted to running, but bananas and flapjacks are equally good
• Adapting your diet in view of ultrarunning is crucial. Some runners cut out carbs and prefer red meats and vegetables in the lead-up to an ultra. Others (like myself) use a mixture of carbs (pasta, rice...) and pulses (lentils, chick peas...) to build up protein.  These diets avoid 'bonking', i.e. running out of fuel during a run
• Training with a bag or camelpak will help as you will probably have to carry a water bladder with about 2 litres

Ultramarathon events

www.trail-blaze.com seems to have been set up to make ultramarathon running more available and adaptable to runners. It may be less suited to beginners as it requires that you run on your own or organise your own team, without marshalling or support.

Here are some events listed on www.ultramarathonrunning.com

 24 Hour Challenge
UK ( England / South East ) | 24 Hour Race | May
30 Mile Ultra Downland Challenge
UK ( England / South East ) | 30 miles | July
Brighton Trail Marathon
UK ( England / South East ) | 27 miles | March
Caesar's Camp 50 and 100 Mile Endurance Runs
UK ( England / South East ) | 50/100 miles | October
Comptom 40 Mile Downland Challenge
UK ( England / South East ) | 40 miles | April
Crawley A.I.M. Charity Track 12 Hour Race
UK ( England / South East ) | 12 Hour Race | April
Enduroman 100 Ultra
UK ( England / South East ) | 100 miles | June
GB Ultra Country to Capital

Most of the 30+ mile ultramarathons require doing a recognition ('recce') of the run as part of the training. It's not a requirement for entering, but without recognizing the route, you are at a disadvantage on the day, especially if any navigation is involved. Runnersworld forum is brilliant for arranging recces.

Ultra Reading

• "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall has probably inspired more runners to start ultras than any other book
• "Feet in the Clouds" by Richard Asquith is a brilliant account of fell running history and practice
• "Ultramarathon Man" is the first part of a biography by Dean Karnazes, an ultramarathon legend in the USA.