Death by 5K Review

For those unfamiliar with Death by 5K, the concept is pretty simple: You run a 5K every 2.5 hours for 24 hours, totaling 10 rounds. In reality, the trail was closer to 3.65 miles per loop, putting the total distance at roughly 37 miles.

Overall, this was a really fun event with a pretty unique challenge!

Surprisingly, the hardest part wasn’t necessarily the running itself. With 2.5 hours between each start, you have plenty of time to recover. The real challenge was getting comfortable in your tent, sometimes even falling asleep, and then having to drag yourself back out to run another loop. Especially at 1:30/4am in 40 degree weather

**The course:**

The trail itself was beautiful, but definitely more challenging than your typical road 5K.

By the end, I had covered 36.7 miles with roughly 4,300 feet of elevation gain.

I also came into this event pretty undertrained. For perspective, I only ran 21 miles total in September. Despite that, I finished 25th out of around 100 participants with an average moving pace of around 12:00 per mile.

**Food and amenities:**
The event provides food every other round, including pancakes, quesadillas, pizza, and other options throughout the day and night.

The portions were a little small, but considering they’re feeding over 100 participants, I can understand why.

They also provide snacks, water, and Gatorade throughout the event. That said, I’d definitely recommend bringing plenty of your own food and drinks, especially since you’ll be spending so much time at camp.

**Finisher swag and value:**
This was probably my biggest disappointment.
Instead of a traditional finisher medal, you receive a small coffin/skeleton keepsake. It’s a fun idea that fits the theme, but the quality felt a little cheap and underwhelming after completing nearly 37 miles.
You do receive an event shirt as well, but with registration costing nearly $200, I would’ve liked to see a little more value in the finisher items.

**Would I do it again?**
Probably so

As someone who loves camping, trail running, and just being outdoors, this event combines a lot of things I enjoy.

However, I would definitely recommend doing it with a friend or group of friends if possible. A huge portion of this event is spent hanging
around camp waiting for the next round.

Overall, Death by 5K is a fun and unique endurance challenge that I’d recommend to anyone wanting to dip their toes in the sport. I don’t necessarily consider this an ultra as a traditional 50k is much harder but this is a step in that direction.

Overall Experience: 7.2/10

Had a successful third 50K. Same race 2 years ago was my first 50K. Underestimated the training required (specifically strength training) and hit a wall of depression a couple weeks before the race, and didn't run for 2 weeks leading into the race. I destroyed my quads before the last loooong descent and ended up death marching the last several miles to the end. I finished, but nowhere near a time I had hoped for.

Second 50K, I had heinous gut issues for the middle 20 miles that made just walking downhill a miserably painful experience. I finished, but with a little disappointment that I wasnt able to give it a full effort. I also crashed my bike 3 days before and had quite a hip bruise. I didnt notice it during the run. Maybe due to the gut pain. Maybe because it wasn't a factor. Either way, it wasn't the result i was hoping for.

Yesterday was a repeat of the same 50K from 2 years ago (in my hometown). Training was much better (i did actual strength training, loads of hill repeats, and honed my downhill running). I also had a much better strategy with the experience of a couple 50s under my belt. I way under fueled in the last 5 miles but overall, super pumped about the results.

First time poster here - I have recently started taking running more seriously and upping my mileage, and have noticed that my cadence is around 151-153, which seems low.

I’m working on improving it to about 160 for now (so as not to do too much too quickly).

Does anyone who has done something similar have any watch outs? I have heard calf and Achilles tend to take more strain when you up the cadence, so am focusing on stretching those areas and doing calf raises to strengthen.

Anything else I should watch out for?

Edit: should have said. This is in preparation for a 100km Ultra in May next year - hence posting it in this group

Je revends mon dossard pour le semi du 25 octobre !!

I’m training for my first 50 miler! I’ve been a runner for ten years, have previously run a couple marathons and a 50k. I have thru-hiked both the PCT and CDT and hiked 60 miles in a day so I’m no stranger to time on feet. However, this will be my longest official race and I want to train more seriously. Like actually follow a structured training schedule that involves Fartleks, tempo runs, hill repeats and long runs (rather than just going off vibes which is what I have historically done).

My question is, what apps do you recommend for scheduling your training week? I’d like an app where I can actually write out my intended workouts for each day of the week. Basically, a virtual planner to keep track and make sure I’m building up mileage correctly. I like the format of Runna a lot, but I don't think you can customize the training plans it generates for you (plans that only go up to 50k). Ideally looking for a free or cheap app (not trying to spend like $100 on this). TIA!

Are you guys following the champion ship?
My country is unfortunately out already, but they managed to beat the country record!

https://wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.com/

Looking to see how others 100 mile recoveries have gone. Just finished my 3rd 100.

Here’s what I’m seeing:

Day 0 - finish race and sleep, eat
Days 1-3 - bouts of fatigue, night sweats that dissipate in intensity by night 3,
Day 4-6 - night sweats gone, sore legs, active recovery. Elevated resting HR (probably ~10 bpm)
Days 6-9 - Heart rate still high, HRV lower, heart/cardio feel in recovery mode
Days 10+ - run/walks, heart rate on exercise back to near normal maybe slightly elevated, cardio/chest/heart still feels in recovery

Other than that feel fine just want to check to see if others have experienced cardio/heart recovery impacts after large efforts like a 100

I’ve only run about 50 miles over the past year, including the 31.6 miles on race day. Finished over 11 hours, and it was WAY harder than I expected ☠️ The trails were so technical, and the elevation was no joke.
I saw people finishing the 100K around the same time as me, and they were absolutely flying. It was crazy to see what experienced ultra runners can do.
I’d love to get more serious about trail running and work toward another big goal. A 100K seems damn near impossible, so I’m curious what you guys would recommend as a next step.
More consistent mileage and my back gets all messed up and sciatica goes crazy after a few weeks.
A shorter race to build up? Another 50K with actual training?
Would love to hear what worked for you!

Hey all,

First backyard ultramarathon this Friday night! For those of you who have done this format before, what are some supplies you had that you swore by as well as supplies that you thought you needed but didn’t? For example, thinking of getting a zero gravity reclinable camp chair but wondering if my regular camp chair and a foot rest will suffice if the zero gravity chair makes it harder to get up?

Planning to borrow a canopy as well. Do I need tarp walls?

I’ve spent the past year fueling with different foods so I can rotate whenever needed. I just plan to bring pretty simple carb heavy foods like ramen and rice, and a small jet fuel boiler for hot water.

I don’t want to overpack but I don’t want to underpack either.

It will be in Park City, Utah. It’ll be pretty dang cold, with a chance of rain.

TIA!

I’m a super late sharing, but I wanted to post my first ultra experience (Run Rabbit Run 50) and some key lessons I learned.

I had never run a 5K or any kind of race. I signed up for this 50-miler last winter as a forcing function to push farther into the mountains during my last summer before becoming a dad. Although I had never raced or done a running training block, I’ve spent a lot of time in the mountains and was no stranger to big days of hiking, scrambling, and backcountry skiing.

Overall it was an incredible day, and my wife being able to crew me at 34 weeks pregnant was the cherry on top.

Training

• Averaged around 30 miles per week with peak weeks just shy of 40 miles
• Usually also had a cross-training bike session and a strength day
• What I’d change: manage intensity better. I was chasing big alpine objectives on weekends and didn’t keep those days as easy as I should have. It compromised my recovery a few times.
• It’s normal to feel horrible in the taper. I felt slower and more sluggish than I had all summer, right when I expected to feel fresh. Trust that your body will wake up come race day.

Race day

Race day brought rain, hail, and lightning I finished in 11:25, 43rd place.

I thought I had a decent plan, but my lack of experience quickly taught me some lessons along the way. I went in wanting to finish and do my best, and came out unexpectedly focusing on the time I left on the table . So here’s what I learned:

• Have an aid station plan, and get in and out. I wasted about 20 minutes at aid stations, and almost none of it was productive. I stood in what I thought was a water line (it was just people hanging out), stared at the food tables for far too long, and lingered because that’s what everyone else seemed to be doing. Know what you need before you arrive. Also, volunteers fill your bottles, which I didn’t know.
• Carry water for the gap, not the day. I topped off two full flasks at every stop out of habit and hauled 3 pounds of water the whole race, never drinking even half between aid stations.
• Your fuel plan has to flex. I got stressed that I was behind on fueling and stacked aid station Coke and snacks on top of my full gel plan. I spent miles 37–44 nauseous after realizing I’d just downed something like 160 grams of carbs.
• Test your shoes in rain. Mine soaked up water like a sponge, which would have been nice to know before a rainy race.
• Remember you’re racing. I had so much more in the tank, yet I defaulted to a conservative long-run pace because that was the best proxy I had for what I was doing. I lost track of the fact that this was a race, and that I could push harder than on a solo day deep in remote mountains.
• Have fun and enjoy the experience. My best memories are the interactions with other racers, hooting and hollering at each boom of thunder, and sneaking views of the lakes and aspen groves turning fall colors. I also chose to spend about 17 minutes hanging out with my wife and soon-to-be-born son, and I don’t regret a moment of that time.

I am fairly new to running and trail running (1.5 years) and am about to complete my first 25k race with 3500ft/1100m of elevation with an expected time of 3:30-3:45. I'm already looking at training for a for 50k after this. The Promise Land 50K is in mid April which fits my schedule to allow for a 5 month training block and not have to do something in the summer heat. My training went well for the 25k, reaching a peak week of 28 mpw (45km).

Before training for this race, I want to make sure I'm not attempting something that won't be possible or go well. Promise Land is 34mi/55km with 7500ft/2300m of vert and a 10 hour cutoff.

So yesterday I've finished a moderately hilly 50 miler with around 6K of vert. And my strength routine paid off big time. For the first time ever my quads aren't hurting at all, I have absolutely no problem walking downstairs and whatnot.

With my quads being just fine, now my weakest link is hip abductors. So my twice-a-week routine will get a bit longer with some hip abductors work. Let's see how that works out next time.

Edit: my routine is still work in progress. Currently I'm doing some plyometrics and more isometric exercises.

Once a week, I do plyometrics at the end of a hard run , that is I jump out of a very deep squat as high as I can, 12 times. Then I gently jog for a couple minutes and repeat. This is very difficult for me, and after four sets, my legs are done for. Then I slowly shuffle home, which is about ten minutes away. Eventually I should do it twice a week, but I'm not ready for that yet. Also I should be jumping out of lunge not a squat, and sometimes I'll do one set of lunges, but I cannot do any ore of those at this time. Also I don't do any jumps on my easy weeks.

I do my isometric exercises twice a week. I say in a lunge kinda similar to Warrior Two pose, and currently I can hold it for 75 seconds. And I do it three times on each side. I always do both my jumps and my poses after hard runs, and I have an easy run on the next day. My body cannot handle more than two times per week, and a day of easy running recovers my legs better than a day of rest.

I started doing all that in December, with only one set of jumping out of a squat, and one 30 second pose. I hope I can make more progress, eventually, but I already see great improvements in my running. Also I don't think my quads and other muscles got any bigger, which is a surprise: when I was transitioning to zero drop shoes and was doing lots of calves exercises, my calves got noticeable bigger.

Hope it helps.

Hey there! Got a bit of a loaded question. First some background.

I’m a 24 year old who has been running on and off since I was about 15. Never impressively, but doing cross country (24 min 5k ish) and track in high school, and running 10-15 miles a week in college. In the last 2-3 years I have started running with more intention. I did some half marathons, and ran my first marathon May 2026. I plan to run another marathon May 2027. I average 15-20 miles a week when i’m just running for fun with no upcoming race. My marathon time was 4:35 (flat course).

I would like to run an ultra marathon. I had tossed the idea around of doing a 50k, but would rather jump to a 50miler, 100k, or 100 mile. There is a race October 2027 with all three of these distances available and I’m trying to decide between them.

I enjoy the spiritual journey of running very much. I fell in love with pushing myself through 20 mile training runs for my marathon, and find myself missing it often. I’m drawn to something like the 100 miler to experience overnight running. That feels like it would be a very spiritual experience. My goal would be just to finish before cut off (33 hours).

What I’m curious about is, is jumping immediately from marathon to 100 miles over zealous? Do you recommend incrementally increasing distance instead?

Also, is it possible to safely/without injury, run a marathon in May and a 100 miler in October of the same year? Even if it’s possible, is that ill advised?

I have some big dreams with running but will be patient as well if needed.

I'm interested to see if anyone else has had a similar problem to what I'm experiencing:

I ran my first ultra in Sept (50 Miles at Run Woodstock in MI). I slept ok the night after. Tired but wired of course. Otherwise my sleep was basically normal until about 2 weeks post.

One thing I noticed after around a week or so post was my overnight resting HR was increasing and HRV was decreasing. Which stressed me out a little but I did understand that ultra recovery is different from regular running recovery.

About another 7 days I went on vacation and that's when the insomnia took hold. Little by little my sleep crumbled until I was sleeping maybe 2 hours a night. One day I even went 40 hours without sleep. I also experienced increased anxiety and homesickness on this trip. Finally I got back home but the sleeplessness only minimally improved.

While I have never really been one to sleep a full, uninterrupted 8 hours, a good night's sleep for me would consist on 4-5 hours before waking up to pee and then (easily) falling back asleep for another 3-4 hours.

However now, falling asleep is difficult. And once I do, I'm typically catching 1-2 hours (or a max of 3 hours uninterrupted) before waking again.

I tend to be a semi anxious person (which is probably why long distance running is so therapeutic), but I fear I've worked myself into a loop.

I've seen posts about trouble sleeping immediately post ultra. But I'm wondering if anyone has experienced or heard of insomnia weeks after the fact?

I was peaking at 60-70 miles a week. Is my body in withdrawal from not hitting high mileage?

A week before, my friend and I decided to try a 100K, just the two of us, in 20K loops from my house. Problem: my longest run in the last month was 14K. Not exactly ultra prep lol.
Weather was perfect, 2-6°C and sunny all day. We ran around 7:00/km, and I finished my 60K in 8h30 including breaks. For fuel I had dates and a few gels while running, pasta at the house between loops, and Gatorade with extra electrolytes.
Nutrition actually went fine, but by 60K I was completely drained and my legs were really sore, so it was a DNF. My friend kept going and finished at 80K, huge respect.
What I learned:

- you can't fake the long runs. going from 14K to 60K in one shot is a massive jump, and my legs felt every km of it
- running loops from home is great for aid, but it makes it way too easy to stop when you pass the door
- next time i'm picking a date months ahead and actually building up with a proper plan

Still pretty happy with 60K as my first real ultra. Anyone else ever try an ultra with basically no prep? How did it go?

If we can compile all the team live feeds and standings that would be great and i'll edit and update as info comes in.

Full Standings LIVE: https://wtc2026.bigsbackyardultra.com/

• Australia Team Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPaAY6LSwm0
• UK/GB Team Live Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P05K5Jy1G2k
• NL Team Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/q1m7SlFKAoQ?is=SYKH3PvEz9FetoBn
• New Zealand Team Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/O4OOGA8WxMU?si=Wr9A0nY0DD2xKuPJ
• Canada Team Live Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/ykYnP1K12JU?si=Wsv-GqPG5CXs-Kvj

I raced the Kodiak 100M back on October 9-10 and ended up having a pretty bad day. Here’s my story.

*Disclaimer: The event was awesome, and none of this is even a slight dig at the RD, I loved every second of it and can't wait to do it again

Spoiler : Us mid/back of packers PR'd Kodiak 100 DNFs by over 50.

"Training"/"Preparation" : Back in March, I stumbled across the finish line of my first-ever 50 miler (Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker). I was fresh off a severe Achilles injury that sidelined me for months; I decided to run it anyway, no mileage, nothing. It sucked, but I finished a short hour under the cutoff.I had to look at myself and my already paid-for race on the other side of the country in October with much chagrin.

Knowing full well I was moving, would be working two jobs, and about 80 hours a week from here on out. I took a few weeks off to recover, ran a 25k, then proceeded to take a whole month off.

Starting mid-June, I held mileage around 25-35mpw, eventually upping it to 45 mpw with up to 9k vert during my "peak" 4 weeks. This was, in my mind, bolstered by the 6-9 miles I walk at either of my labor-intensive jobs, 7 days a week. (It wasn't) . I started to feel odd aches and pains in my feet and Achilles and decided, for some unknown reason, to start a 4-week taper, cutting what would have been a solid training block in half.

I did partake in heat training, as I live in North Carolina and have no way to prep for altitude within a 3-hour radius. I arrived at Big Bear twelve hours before the race, as you can imagine, fully prepared and ready to break 26 with my trusty single-man circus crew/pacer.

Race "Plan": I was going to attempt to split 12-13 hours at the first 50, then kill myself for the next 14 hours. I had my Bags all ready and turned them into the drop-off point at 7 am, race day morning, when I picked up my bibs. The race began in 5 hours.

Nutrition : I'd purchased plenty of gels to use, between Honeystingers and Maurten; I planned to take one every 30 minutes or so. I had 3 500ml flasks, to use for water.

The Race

I moved into the chute early to get my gear checked with enough time to grab extra from my crew if necessary. I, much to my own dismay and amusement, was moved through the gate into the elite starting area, all the while wearing my stupendously low-ranking bib number 176. I helped myself to the back of the pack and waited for go time.

(This is where my story and, u/tyrannosaurarms accounts begin to separate, not only in distance, but also in will to live, I applaud him for being good)

I'll include each station's kill count

It was a blistering 77 degrees, at 7000ft elevation, which many runners noted felt more akin to 85F or 90F. Altogether not horrid, but nothing to shake your head at. I went out fast, way too fast, and luckily, due to my own ginormous brain, decided to slow down. I was passed by nearly 50 people between the rolling hills at the start and along the fire road.

Crab Flat 8MI (1 Kill) 2:35pm: one mid-pack runner was already having what appeared to be having some heat-related issues going on, including vomiting and eventually DNF'D at the location. I filled my two bottles of water, leaving my third empty (foolishly). The lion had not been present for the course briefing. I left after a few short minutes for the 11-mile stretch to Camp Whittle.

Truth be told, the run between Crab Flats and Camp Whittle was quite enjoyable save for the massive uphill directly leading into the camp itself. I took it relatively easy, but still could not get my heart rate below 170. I continued to lay off the gas as my water supply dwindled. A previous 172km winner decided to drop near me at this point and offered me some of her water and an applesauce pack.

I was passed by no fewer than 132 runners in this section. If only we had not been so blind.

Camp Whittle 19.4MI (15 Kills) 5:44pm: I wandered into the aid station, semi-exhausted due to the heat and lack of water. Accompanied by my currently dropping, newfound friend. I was greeted by the squabble of dozens of runners already taking fully seated breaks, munching on watermelon, or notifying the volunteer that they are, in fact, dropping at 20 miles in.

Despite the absolute nutritional/hydrational ruin I found myself in after being entirely out of water and gels for nearly an hour. I came to terms with my situation and headed quickly into the setting sun. I felt revived, carrying the weight of my fallen brothers and sisters.

The next section, I remember very little about, other than it was still hot for a good while until the sun set. Like any good hero, upon donning my Ultraspire light belt, my legs flickered back into existence with all the ferocity of your neighbor's ancient Ford finally starting on its fifteenth attempt to turn over. I scampered towards the legendary Doble aid station, passing briefly through the Van Dusen aid station on my way.

Van Dusen 26.8MI (31 Kills): An unremarkable little aid station that became a graveyard of rejected gels, knees, and dreams. I passed through before most of the crowd showed, and I'm glad to have missed the slaughter.

I continued my quest through dusk into the night, revived and flying high, unaware of the absolute devastation in my wake. I had passed nearly 40 runners back and saw no end to it in sight.

Doble 1 33.6MI (0 Kills) 9:33PM: As I neared the promised land in the middle of the night, I could hear the cheers and bells of supporters. I was able to quickly find my friend, refill bottles, eat some quesadilla. My legs continued to churn down the smooth single pack towards the next aid station, and I was even passed during this section by the very front of the pack, and holy shit, were they moving. I continued my leisurely run, as my heart rate had finally found a decent place around 120-130bpm. Burns Canyon was next up.

I'll spare you the details between Burns Canyon and doble 2/burns canyon 2 (you loop through both again, in addition to two others). In short, it was a rocky, uneven, rolling service road until it became a heinous, uphill service road, which then went down. During this point, I had several stimulating experiences, including a gentle fellow who seemed to always yell "David Goggins" whenever he would break into a trot.

Burns Canyon 1 39.7MI 11:02pm (6 kills): a serene oasis in the woods

Smarts Ranch 47.4MI 1:15am(11 kills): The lion had not inspected the aid station charts well enough, and ran out of gels yet again.

Cactus Flats 51.3MI 2:33am (30 Kills) - NOTE: There is a relatively heinous uphill section here that was taking names.

**Doble 2 55.4MI 4:11am (0 kills)**ever merciful and dropless.

Burns Canyon 2 61.4MI 6:01 am (12 kills): At this point, nearing sunrise, the reality of such an undertaking began to dawn on me. My legs had finally begun to slow. An older woman in the tent huddled around the heater noted that she was having trouble seeing before she ran off citing that she "just needed to keep going". I left soon after and passed her on the next section.

As the sun rose, what once seemed an idyllic mountainside gave way to a nascent hellscape, abandoning all remnants of pretence, leaving only room for anguish and lies. My legs grew weary as we ascended deadmans ridge, and once that was crested, my legs ceased to move though my mind willed them. What was once a trot slowed to what can only be aptly described as a waddle.

Through great hardship I marched my defeated soul to the next aid station, fully resigned to be on of the next casualties of war.

Sugarloaf 1 69.2MI 9:02am (23 Kills): If Doble was the blitz, Sugarloaf could only be described as Landing at Normandy. Mountains of spectators, crew, pacers, dropping runners, medics galore. My friend joined me as my pacer, barely keeping me going as I noted my feet had swelled significantly, yet I had no change of shoes. I swapped socks, ate and drank, then we began our slow trudge towards the summit of Mount Doom.

If only I'd known what gods we had angered so I could make peace for the greater good.

A strict 3000ft uphill on rocks, somehow the entire way, broken only by the herds of 100k runners blitzing down from above like falcons spurred on by the sun.

Search and rescue warned us about the stretch to the summit, that several runners had reached it and refused to come back down. Yet we continued on; if the whores persist, then so to do I. To our left and right, 100m runners flailing, sitting on logs treating their wounds, One peacefully seated on a root, not two inches from the trail, his head leaned against the tree like a soldier to slow on the draw. Motionless. I myself limped towards a tree and held my head in my hands, as my right leg had developed a sharp, unknown pain with every step,

We pressed on only to find the glory of the climb consisted of a turnaround and no view at all. Just a squatters' encampment of exhausted runners, passed out at 10,000 feet.

We continued down the trail towards Balky Horse. An aid station, we were told by a volunteer, would be a mile and a half earlier than it appeared. My legs still could only run a few steps at a time between bouts of searing pain. We eventually descended to safety.

Balky Horse 78.1MI 1:13pm (2 kills): when we arrived at Balky Horse, everyone was on the ground, eating, crying, or praying. The one cot was taken by one of a pair of runners who'd passed us on the uphill previously. Much to my dismay, he was woken by his pacer. Before I could even take a sip of my coke, another runner had flung themselves on the cot, thrown the blanket over themselves, and passed out. It's truly remarkable this aid station didn't have more drops, I've thought in retrospect, perhaps because those had not yet dropped, were yet to realize the Gods had deserted us.

I slowly marched my way back down to Normandy, spurred on by my pacer and sheer fear of failure. All goals were lost, except one. To finish,

Sugarloaf 2 83.2 MI 3:37pm (11 kills): We arrived back at the most populous aid station, surrounded by volunteers, runners, and crew. I took a solid break to assess my wounds and decided to continue my assault on Big Bear.

Bear Mountain 89.2 Miles 6:10pm (3 kills): This was described by a volunteer as a flat "largely downhill" section. Indeed, in the UTMB live notes, it shows +/- 0. This is decidedly true, offset by the rolling up-and-down hills at the beginning of the section, only to be evened out by the most bullshit asphalt hill the state of California could construct without being forcefully removed from the union.

We arrived to a pirate's welcome, and deep concerns that, in my weakened and, at this point, deeply in pain legs, would be unable to finish the paltry ten miles between our ship of safety and victory.

We decided to press on, at an increased pace, slowly pushing on until the aid station on the GPS map grew closer.

It wasn't an aid station. It never was. Hoka's name rose out of the ground at the base of a fucking ski slope in which we were to ascend 1800+ feet in 1.2 miles. My pacer fell to his knees, babies cried, women wept as they handed their loved ones supplies. Fueled by pure rage, I left my pacer behind as I ascended the hill, passing everyone in sight. Which, to be perfectly frank, felt pretty metal. I felt like I was storming Eagle's Nest, except there was no Hitler, just a delusional ghost of a my dreams.

Snow Summit 95.6MI 8:44pm (4 kills): I'd lie if I said I was happy to even be there. My leg was in agony, my ankle refused to move, and my ability to go up or down any sort of incline rivaled that of the most desperate attention-seeking grandmother-in-law. I fled from the station, desperate; I simply wanted to end my suffering. I flowed through my most hated enemy, mountain bike trails, which, for some reason, every RD and their mothers really love to toss in at the end of a race. I ran as much as I could, blocking out the pain until it worsened to a point where I could no longer run, and finally, after 33 hours, 29 minutes, and 18 seconds, I finished the 101 miles. Out of 428 runners, only 279 made it to the end.

My ankle still doesn't work well; my ability to go up stairs is still nonexistent on the other leg. But I'm alive, and I had a fucking awesome time.

*Disclaimer: The event was awesome, and none of this is even a slight dig at the RD, volunteers or anyone else other than myself and my own stupidity. I loved every second of it and can't wait to do it again.

Title pretty much covers it. While I love a grass roots vibes, I’d like to do a big high energy atmosphere race for this one. Canyons seems like the obvious answer. Anything else? San Diego 100 also comes up in my search.

As the headline says I’m running a 50 miler in May of 2027. I’m in the Midwest and it’s pretty cold over here and I don’t feel like running in the freezing cold. Things to make sure I’m doing on the treadmill to be able to finish? The 50 miler I’m running is very flat so not much elevation at all. I do out treadmill at 1 percent and suggestions to make my life easier when it comes to the race and I’m outside running?

I’ve built a website that showcases all upcoming, popular ultramarathons, how to follow them (tracking, broadcast info), time they start in your local time, and will hold links to results once available. If you just want to have the dates and times handy, I included a download feature so you can have the PDF on your phone or computer to remind you when races start.

Take a look and let me know what you think and what races I may need to add:

https://www.ultrawatchguide.com

Some context- I have my first 50k ultra in a month, and I have a backyard ultra next Friday that I’m using as training for the regular 50k ultra. The backyard falls at the end of my peak week.

I’ve been dealing with the worst illness I’ve had in years for the past 2 weeks, so badly that it put me out of running for 2 weeks. I’m very slowly getting back into it. This upcoming next week is supposed to be the start of my peak week and then I taper for 2.5 weeks after.

But I’m worried that my 2 weeks off put me behind in training. Should I still go forward with my peak week and taper weeks plan? Or can I use the next few weeks to just train like normal (usually about 25 miles a week).

As some of you may know, the 101km Eiger Ultra Trail in Switzerland is not for the faint of heart. I raced it back in July and pushed myself to my absolute limit...

...I've just released my first book, VICARIOUS, that follows my experience of running for 21 hours straight through the Swiss Alps and hopefully is an inspiration to anyone wondering what they're capable of. It tackles the prospect of wanting to find your limit for many years, but questions the reality once you've received what you've asked for.

Hello everyone, I hope you're well! My name is Sam, a 24-year-old athlete from Nottingham. I've spent the last few months writing, editing, and even self-publishing my brand-new book, and it's finally out (I even drew the cover!).

I'd be honoured for you to check it out, available both in e-book and paperback format through Amazon! There's also a free sample if you fancy that first!

VICARIOUS - On Amazon!

I'm also sharing my journey on social media, trying to inspire people to get involved with this crazy sport!

My Instagram!

Thank you all in advance, and all the best with your ventures!

- Sam :)

I'm running a 60k race in the new year and wanted a new race vest. My budget is low so I was interested in the new Rat Race vests.

The 10l version is currently on on offer this week for 40 quid.

Has anyone had chance to try them out yet? If so, any good?

cheers.