Health Effects of Running an Ultramarathon
- aloughlin0
- May 4
- 2 min read
By: Aidan Loughlin
With the Cocodona 250 underway this morning what better time to discuss the horrors the brave runners are about to put their body through. Ultramarathons are brutal races that are defined as any race over 26.2 miles with the shorter distances being around 50k (31 miles) and the longer races being 300+ miles. These races leave people shuffling the next day but not everyone is that lucky because these races have the potential to do serious harm to participants bodies.
Blisters and general fatigue are basically guarantees for the next day but there are far greater damages the runners could endure. Ultras are mostly controlled environments but with unique terrains anything can happen. The most common injuries that occur on the course of these ultras are:
Runners knee
Shin splints
Plantar fasciitis
The long term effects when doing ultras are likely with knee and hip replacements far more common in ultra runners but while running ultra marathons other issues are greater risks that harm your health in the moment and possibly forever. At the higher end really long races an oath is read out to the runners that they must repeat famously saying "If I get lost, hurt, or die; it's my own damn fault". This oath is to ensure the runners take responsibility for everything that happens during the race and that the race directors aren't liable.
Some of the substantial injuries that have occurred in ultras are:
Stress Fracture
Rhabdomyolysis (AKA "Rhabdo")
Tendinopathy
Stress fractures, tendinopathy and rhabdo are not the most common injuries but all are possible with effects that hold you back from running for some time. One case of a serious health effect that impacted a top ultra runner was Hans "the destroyer"Troyer during the Black Canyon 100k when he got a case of Rhabdo forcing him in the hospital for 12 days where he gained 40 pounds and was on an IV the whole time until the toxic proteins are flushed out. Troyer pushed his body past his limits and ended up sending himself to the hospital. Troyer is a special case of a person willing to push themselves to the brink but even just running the distances of these ultra marathons will leave runners with minor muscle breakdown.
Overall the health concerns when it comes to ultra running is lower than you would initially perceive. There is a lot of unsuspected variables that could happen leading to health concerns but the overall danger when properly prepared is far lower than perceived. As long as the runners listen to their bodies, are fueling properly and are in somewhat of a controlled environment most major health concerns are manageable.
References:
KRABAK, BRIAN J.1,2,3,4; WAITE, BRANDEE5; SCHIFF, MELISSA A.6,7. Study of Injury and Illness Rates in Multiday Ultramarathon Runners. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 43(12):p 2314-2320, December 2011. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318221bfe3
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