HURT100 is a 5 lap race in a semi-tropical rainforest on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu. Not only do the Hawaiian Ultra Running Team have one of the best acronyms (HURT), they also organise one of the best races in America. Started in 1978, when ultra running was in its true infancy, Badwater 135 is now one of the best-known races in the world, with a cult-like following that often return again and again. Runners have been known to transport ice baths and huge industrial fans to different checkpoints along the route help cool their boiling bodies. The appropriately named Death Valley often reaches temperatures well in excess of 40✬ (and sometimes as high as 50✬!). Covering three mountain ranges, participants climb nearly 4,500m overall, all the way up to the finish line on Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in continental America.Īs if climbing from the lowest valley to the highest peak wasn’t enough, Badwater 135 also takes place in the hottest and driest location in North America… in July. From here, runners travel through places with increasingly foreboding names, such as Furnace Creek, Devil’s Cornfield, Stovepipe Wells and Lone Pine. At 85m below sea level, the start line at Badwater Basin in Death Valley is the lowest elevation in the US. The ‘original ultra runners’ won the event outright in both 19, setting a course record that stood for 8 years (if you fancy taking on the Tarahumara yourself, check out Ultra X Mexico ). Leadville Trail 100 was also the American debut for the legendary Tarahumara tribe of Mexico. In a typical year though, less than half finish… Just 45 participants lined up in year one but these days a lottery-selected 800 battle it out for the coveted silver belt buckle.

The ‘Race Across The Sky’ only goes up from there and runners often battle symptoms of hypoxia, hyponatremia and hypothermia when up in the mountains. Aptly nicknamed the ‘Two-Mile-High-City’, Leadville is located 3,100m above sea level and is the lowest point on the course. The course follows the Colorado Trail and is a gruelling out-and-back route, combining technical terrain with long and steep climbs, the most famous of which is the 3,740m high Hope Pass.īrutal climbs aside, the altitude is the real kicker. Now it is one of the most iconic races on the US ultramarathon circuit. Better get those entries in now…įirst organised in 1983, the Leadville Trail 100 was conceived as a way of bringing tourist money to the town after the local mine closed, taking more than 3,000 jobs with it. With more than 6,000 entering in 2020, first time entrants have just a 1.3% chance of landing themselves a spot. Western States has hosted some legendary competitions throughout the years and acts an unofficial world champion competition (or at least American champion).

Between Squaw Valley and Auburn, runners take in the high country beauty of Emigrant Pass, the canyons of the California gold country and cross the ice-cold waters of the American River. The range in elevation means some miles are ran on snow and others on scorching hot trails.

Runners have 30 hours to complete the route, which, despite having more than 5,500m of elevation is generally considered ‘runnable’ (by the elites, anyway).

Once he’d proved it possible, everyone else wanted a go and nowadays people travel from all over the world to master this famously hot course. Officially the oldest ultramarathon in the world, this 100-mile trail race was originally competed on horseback, until Gordy Ainsleigh attempted to complete the course on foot in under 24 hours. If you’ve only ever heard of one ultra marathon, there is a high chance its Western States.

100 mile extreme race