Run-Down Forums Forum Index Run-Down Forums

 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch
 
Run-Down Forums Forum Index
Distance Den
Who was the greatest American runner of all time?
Post new topic   Reply to topic

Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Run-Down Forums Forum Index -> Distance Den
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Distance_Guru
World Class
World Class


Joined: 09 Mar 2002
Posts: 1280
Location: Nebraska

PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2002 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Micah: What is the most important Ultra in the world. Not counting the world champs (if there is one), what is the Boston Marathon of ultras? The two that I would guess would be Commrades and the Western States 100 but those are just about the only 2 I've ever heard of.
_________________
Time is the fire in which we burn
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Micah Ward
Olympic Medalist
Olympic Medalist


Joined: 08 May 2000
Posts: 2152
Location: Hot&humid, GA

PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2002 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you Conway...you are a gentleman and a scholar.

Good question DG. The flat out best ultrarunners in the world gather for the World 100K Championships every year. That is where you will find the fastest times. But as I have mentioned in another thread it is very difficult to compare road ultras and trail ultras.

I think you could say, without much argument in the ultra community, that Western States is the grand daddy of them all. In American ultra running it is the Boston Marathon, World Series, Wimbolden, Super Bowl, etc. To enter WS you have to qualify in another ultra and then hope you are one of the 300 select few to be chosen in the lottery. Other prestigous ultras are the JFK 50 mile in Maryland and the American River 50 in California and the Sunmart 50 mile and 50K in Texas. There are about 23 100 milers in North America every year.

Ultrarunning also has its Grand Slam. The Grand Slam is completing Western States, the Leadville 100 in Colorado, the Wasatch 100 in Utah and either the Old Dominion 100 in Virginia or the Vermont 100. Some try to do all four in the same year and Ann Trason won all four in one year. I could go on and on but this may already be more than you expected. Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Dan
Chief Pontificator
Chief Pontificator


Joined: 22 Mar 1999
Posts: 9334
Location: Salem, OR

PostPosted: Tue May 21, 2002 9:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's an ultra-post!!! Smile

Dan
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address MSN Messenger
Distance_Guru
World Class
World Class


Joined: 09 Mar 2002
Posts: 1280
Location: Nebraska

PostPosted: Wed May 22, 2002 9:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Leadville 100, that's at 10,000 feet! I can't decide if running an Ultra would be harder or easier (relativly speeking of coarse) than running a shorter race at that altitiude the faster pace in the shorter races makes the altitude catch up to you pretty quick but with the length of a 100 mile race, at that altitude must make it seem like about 1,000 mile race.
_________________
Time is the fire in which we burn
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Micah Ward
Olympic Medalist
Olympic Medalist


Joined: 08 May 2000
Posts: 2152
Location: Hot&humid, GA

PostPosted: Thu May 23, 2002 4:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The altitude at Leadville does take its toll. That race has always had a relatively high rate of DNF's. The sentiment among a lot of ultrarunners seems to be that most ultras leave you less "trashed" than a hard marathon. The slower pace, even though you may be going 50 miles, is less stressful than the faster pace of a marathon. Plus, a lot of the ultras are on trails instead of pavement and that is easier on the legs.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Distance_Guru
World Class
World Class


Joined: 09 Mar 2002
Posts: 1280
Location: Nebraska

PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2002 9:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've heard about Transon quite a bit but who's the best male ultra runner of all time, who's the best right now? The last book I read with a section on ultra marathoning said that Bruce Fordyce was the best ever but that book was published in 1991 so it is obviously not up to date. And this is another strange ultra question but what's the border line between ultra marathoning and pedestrian races, or are they the same thing? Again the last thing I saw but the line at 100k where as I thought it would be 100 miles (the book was written over sea's which could be part of the explaination).
_________________
Time is the fire in which we burn
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Micah Ward
Olympic Medalist
Olympic Medalist


Joined: 08 May 2000
Posts: 2152
Location: Hot&humid, GA

PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2002 11:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good questions. For some thoughts on the top male runners go back to a topic we had going last Nov entitled The Greatest of All Time. On page 6 you will find Ward's Worthless Opinion of the greatest ultrarunners of all time. But I have this caveat...my knowledge is mostly of US runners. Fordyce was a great runner from South Africa and I believe still holds a world record or two. As of now there are several Russians and South Africans that I would have to do some research on. But here in the US Jim Garcia of MA runs with the best on trails and roads. Scott Jurek has won the last 3 Western States. Trason's husband, Carl Anderson, doesn't race as often but does real well when he does race. Dave Dunham, Ian Torrence, Scott St. John and Mark Godale are names that come to mind and Dan Verrington is a relative newcomer who won this years 50K champs in 3:09:15.

By pedestrian races I assume you mean the early 20th century walking races that often lasted 6 days. Don't know that there is a firm deliniation between a pedestrian race and an ultra. Technically anything longer than a standard marathon is an ultra. So, not suprisingly, the most popular ultra distance is the 50K which is an easy transition for a well trained marathoner since it is only 31 miles. The next most popular is 50 mile races in the US and 100K in the rest of the world.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Run-Down Forums Forum Index -> Distance Den All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Page 10 of 10

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group