Your gateway to information about ultra-distance endurance events and races: event calendars, race management companies, and other Internet resources that may help you to locate, research, choose, and register for an event.
Odyssey Double and Triple Iron - double and triple ironman distance events. Odyssey Double Iron is a successor event to the legendary Huntsville Double Iron Triathlon in Alabama directed for 12 years by Ray and Nancy Shepard. In 1998, due to restrictions on the race course, event was cancelled. Same year, OAR (Odyssey Adventure Racing) added this race to its portfolio of events. Currently, OAR holds Odyssey Triple Iron, Odyssey Double Iron, and Odyssey Half Iron races during the same weekend in September. To reflect its adventure racing background, OAR created an option to paddle instead of swimming in their ultra-distance triathlons.
Le Defi Mondial de l'Endurance - or The World Endurance Challenge, a triple ironman distance event in le Fontanil, a suburb of Grenoble, France. Double ironman event is also held simultaneously with the Triple. (old site contains 1996 information.)
Dutch Ultra Triathlon - ultra triathlons in Denmark, and other ultras-related information
Mexican DecaTriathlon - ten times ironman distance race held in Monterrey, Mexico, and organized by Jorge Luis Andonie (e-mail: landonie@hotmail.com or telephone: (52 8)378-4262).
Swiss Citypower Gigathlon - multisport stage event circumnavigating Switzerland. 7 Day Triathlon race includes 25km swim, 264km mountain bike, 759km road bike, 173kn skating, and 157km running. Individual athletes and teams are allowed to participate in a single day or 7-day races. Also information on Trans Swiss Triathlon and The Swiss 7-Day Triathlon.
X-Denmark - 3 day stage ultra triathlon crossing Denmark: 400km bike from Skagen to Nyborg, 18km Nyborg to Korsor open cold water swim along the world's secong longest hanging bridge, and 120km run across Sjaelland from Korsør to Copenhagen. Solo and team divisions. Time limit is 58 hours.
adventure CORPS - Chris Kostman's website. Succesful racer in a variety of ultra-distance events (RAAM, Le Defi Mondial de l'Endurance, Iditabike), Chris now is race director for a variety of events, including Furnace Creek 508 cycling ultra and Badwater Ultramarathon.
Badwater Ultramarathon - 135 mile race from Badwater in Death Valley (elev. 282 feet below sea level) to Whitney Portals on Mt. Whitney (elev. 8360 feet).
A great running tradition began with Al Arnold's original trek from Badwater to Mt. Whitney in 1977, followed by hundreds of solo efforts, and most recently by the Badwater Races produced by Hi-Tec from 1988 through 1999, and now produced by adventureCORPS.
Barkley Fun Runs - 60- and 100-mile races on first Saturday in April in Frozen Head State Park, TN. 100,000 feet of elevation change, with an average gradient of nearly 40%. Temperatures range from 0 to 80 degrees. No course markings, no aid stations. Only 35 entries allowed. In 15 years, out of 400 runners only one has finished 100 miler.
Bull Run Run - 50-miler on trails along the Bull Run and Occoquan River
Canadian Death Race - 125km individual or 5-person relay in August held in Alberta, Canada. 12,000 feet elevation gain with 3 summits on mountain trails.
Cold Foot - 100 mile Iditasport event on a maintained road from north of the Brooks Range to the Arctic Ocean. Competitors are permitted to have a personal support vehicles as race takes place in arctic conditions with temperatures ranging from -30F to +30F.
Dances with Dirt - early September trail 100km and 50km run in Michigan. Event includes 5 person relay team competition.
Leadville Trail - 100 miles through the high mountains of Colorado. Also of note is Leadville Double - running trail race one weekend and mountain biking it next weekend.
Long Island Endurance Runs - 50km and 50 mile courses through towns of Oyster Bay and Huntington in Long Island, New York
Quadruple Dipsea - double out-and-back 28.4 mile trail race on the hilly Dipsea Trail in California; with spectacular vistas of the San Francisco Bay Area and through the redwood trees of Muir Woods
Run Across the Years - 72, 48, 24 hours, 100km and 6-day races near Phoenix, Arizona.
Seven Sisters Trail Race - 12 mile race on first Sunday in May along the Seven Sisters, a series of steep hills along a ridgeline in Amherst, Massachusetts
The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team
- founded by Sri Chinmoy in 1976, the worldwide Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team holds over 500 athletic events annually, including fun runs, marathons, ultra marathons, triathlons, masters track and field competitions, bicycle races, swimming races and tennis matches.
Western States Endurance Run - one of the most famous North American 100 mile trail races, from Squaw Valley to Auburn, California. 18,000 feet of ascent and 22,000 feet of descent.
Wickham Park - marathon, 50-, 100-, and 200-mile run in May in Melbourne, Florida.
La Transe Gaule - La Transe Gaule is an 18 day, 1,145 km stage race across France, from the Brittany coast to the Mediterranean Sea. First run in 2001, the race is the child of Jean-Benoit Jaouen and Christophe Rochotte who dreamed of the great coast-to-coast races across the USA and Australia. Daily average of 40 miles on back roads through the French countryside and small towns. Additional info can be found in YaNoo.net
African Events
Comrades Marathon - one of the world famous ultramarathons in South Africa
Two Oceans Marathon - 56km race around the Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, South Africa.
Marathon des Sables - a 7-day "Marathon of the Sands" stage race across the Sahara Desert of Morocco (exact location changes each year) with a total distance of about 230km (145 miles). There are 6 stages in 7 days. There is always a 42km (26 mile) "marathon" stage and a 80km (50 mile) "non-stop" stage which runners have two days (40 hours) to finish. Ration of 9 liters of water and an open-sided Berber tent are provided daily to competitors. Race entries are allotted per country (US allotment is around 50).
Augrabies Extreme Marathon - 250km 6-day self-sufficient race in October held starting and finishing in the Augrabies Falls National Park, Kalahari Desert, South Africa. This event is similar to Marathon des Sables in Morocco, as athletes carry all their supplies, clothing and sleeping bag for the duration of the race, with only water and shelter provided.
Middle Eastern Events
Amman Dead Sea Ultra Marathon - 50km run from 900 meters above the sea lavel to the saltiest and lowest point on earth 400 meters below sea level in Amman, Jordan
Desert Cup - 200km from Wadi Rum to Petra, Jordan, in November
Lake Saroma 100km Ultra Marathon - June race in Hokkaido, Japan. Very fast and flat course which produced men's and women's world road 100K records (point-to-point).
Everest Marathon - starts at Gorak Shep (5184m), below Everest base camp, and finishes at Namche Bazaar (3446m). The course is a measured 26.2miles and is basically downhill with undulating and steep uphill sections.
UltraMongolia Sunrise to Sunset - 100km, 50km, and 42km distances on alpine trails (5,000 to 9,000 feet elevation) above Lake Hovsgul National Park, about 700km northwest of Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia.
Australian Events
Trans Australia Foot Race - January 6 to March 11, 2001, 3,000 mile running stage race averaging 45 miles/day from Perth to Canberra.
Furnace Creek 508 - 508 mile cycling race held annually in October in Death Valley and the Mojave Desert since 1990, but it dates back to 1983 under the directorship of John Marino, founder of the Race Across America (RAAM). Solo, tandem, and relay divisions are offered.
Race Across America - since 1982 the best endurance cyclists raced in the world's toughest race. Race also presents logistic and planning challenges to the support crews. Teams of 2 or 4, or solo competitors. Winning team times are 5 to 6 days, with solos finishing in 9 to 10 days.
Boston-Montreal-Boston: The American Randonnee - 750 mile randonneuring event held every year except when Paris-Brest-Paris is run (P-B-P is run once every 4 years, with the next is scheduled for 2003). Site also contains information on The Boston Brevets, a series of long distance cycling events which are also training and qualifying rides for other randonneuring events such as B-M-B and P-B-P. The series is made up of 4 traditional brevets: 200km (125 miles), 300km (190 miles), 400km (250 miles), 600km (375 miles).
USA Randonneuring - events information and qualification criteria for Paris-Brest-Paris and other rides
The Impossible Ride - Mike Secrest's 2 Day Transcontinental Crossing Attempt on US Interstate Highways (can he average over 50 mph to finish in his projected 2 days)
Iditasport - series of events held in Alaska. Iditasport is a 130 mile race along the section of the Idirarod Trail with 72 hours time limit. There are 4 divisions: mountain bike, ski, foot, and snowshoe. The trail passes through frozen Alaskan taiga, swamps, rivers and lakes with views of Denali. Extra-wide SnowCat rims are essential gear as they help a bike float on the snowy trail packed by snowmobile traffic. Iditasport Extreme is a 350 mile event with solo and team divisions. It follows the Iditarod Trail from Knik over the Alaska Range dropping through the Dalzell Gorge and continuing to the remote bush village of McGrath. 10 days time limit. Fastest time belongs to John Stamstad: 3 days, 8 hours and 15 minutes. Entrants must qualify for Iditasport Extreme with at least one finish of the shorter Iditasport race. Coldfoot 100 - another Idita family cycling event over the Brooks Range in Alaska. Iditasport Impossible is a 1,100 human-powered mile race up and over the Alaska Range from Knik to Nome. Ski, foot, and bike divisions. 40 days time limit.
La Ruta de Los Conquistadores - "The Route of the Conquistadors", a 3-day 300 mile mountain bike stage race across the Costa Rica in Central America, from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. Course covers rain forests, 12,000 feet volcanoes, fruit plantations and small farm towns.
24 Hours of Adrenalin - individual and team MTB 24-hour events in Monterey and Idyllwild, California; Vernon, New Jersey; Merrimac, Wisconsin; Milton and Barrie, Ontario; Canmore, Alberta; Winter Park, Colorado; Vernon, British Columbia; Conyers, Georgia; and New England.
Granny Gear Productions - organizer of the "24 Hours" team- and individual MTB events. Events include: 24 Hours of Donner Pass held in Donner Ski Ranch, California; 24 Hours of Moab, Utah; 24 Hours of Tahoe; 24 Hours of Snowshoe held in Timberline Resort, West Virginia (formerly The 24 Hours of Canaan, the original day-long mountain bike race, which has grown from 36 teams in 1992 to about 450 teams and 1,800 riders in 1998).
Trilife Sports International - the organizers of the Canadian Adrenalin race series. Events include 24 Hours of Adrenalin held in Laguna Seca, California, and Kokanee 24 Hours of Adrenaline Race Series (Kelso, Ontario; Canmore, Alberta; Whistler, British Columbia; Hardwood Hills, Ontario; Silver Star, British Columbia).
Vail Ultra 100 - race in Colorado with 13-hour cut-off, with a total of over 10,000 vertical feet of climbing. The majority of the course is on jeep and dirt roads, with some single track, including a technical descent.
Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race - highest altitude 100 mile cycling event in the US. Colorado's off-road race starts at 10,200 feet and climbs to a high point of 12,600. The route is mostly jeep road with a bit of pavement and single track, and about 12,000 vertical feet of climbing. A handful of cyclists usually enter the Leadville Trail 100 mile running race the following weekend.
Matfield Green 100K - aka The Flinthills Death Ride, held in Matfield Green, KS. 74-mile trek through the rolling grasslands of the Great Plains with climbs totaling 5,391 feet.
24 Hours of Afton - race in Minnesota on the seven-mile loop of single track, gravel road and cut grass trail. Riders can expect about a 600-foot gain per lap on the hilly course that runs in and out of a river valley/Midwestern ski area located about 15 minutes from the Twin Cities. This low-key event has a field limit of 75, four-member teams with men's, women's, co-ed (2 men, 2 women), and solo divisions.
adventure CORPS - Chris Kostman's website. Succesful ultra-distance racer in a variety of ultra events (RAAM, Le Defi Mondial de l'Endurance, Iditabike, etc.), Chris is now an organizer of the Furnace Creek 508 and Badwater Ultramarathon.
PAC Tour - Pacific-Atlantic-Cycling Tour was started in 1985 by cross country and RAAM record holders Susan Notorangelo and Lon Haldeman as a way to offer the long distance cyclist the ultimate cycling vacation. The support staff is made up of the most professional individuals including many former RAAM (Race Across AMerica) veterans. PAC Tour has organized over fifty tours across America. All these tours have averaged between 100 and 200 miles per day.
Ultra-Distance Aquatic Events: Swimming and Paddling
Swimming Events
Manhattan Island Foundation - organizer of 28.5 mile swim race around Manhattan, New York City, and other local open water swims (primarily in Hudson River)
Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation - all about 18.2 nautical miles (approximately 21 land miles) English Channel swim. Traditionally, from Shakespeare Beach, Dover, to Cap Gris Nez (the headland halfway between Calais and Boulogne).
Rottnest Channel Swim - the world's largest open water swim in Australia, from Perth to Rottnest Island in the Indian Ocean. Individuals and teams complete the 20km channel crossing in 4.5 hour to over 10 hours.
Athletes
Benoit Lecomte - swam across the Atlantic Ocean. On July 16, 1998 he left Cape Cod with 8 wet suits, a snorkel and flippers. Navigated through the 40th and 50th latitude by two French sailors on a 12m (40 foot) sailboat and protected by an electronic force field, Lecomte swam 6 to 8 hours a day at two-hour intervals. He mainly swam freestyle, occasionally kicking with a monofin, to cover 5,600km (3,736 nautical miles) in 72 days, beaching at Quiberon, France.
Rowing and Paddling Events
North America / US Events
Yukon River Quest - the longest endurance marathon canoe race in the world, a total of 700km (460 miles), from Whitehorse, Yukon, across Lake Laberge and down the Yukon River to Dawson City in the Klondike Valley.
Adirondack Canoe Classic - 90-mile 3-day race for Adirondack guideboats and canoes along original "Highway of the Adirondacks," including multiple carries, from Old Forge to Saranac Lake, in upstate New York.
Hinano Molakai Hoe - 41-mile open-water outrigger-canoe race from Molokai to Oahu
Texas Water Safari - canoe racing adventure which traverses 260 miles of challenging rivers and bays from San Marcos to Seadrift on San Antonio Bay, Texas. During the Safari, solo racers and teams may not receive any assistance of any kind except verbal and water/ice. Teams must be prepared to travel day and night, non-stop to be competitive.
WaterTribe Challenge -
three adventure races for sea kayaks, canoes, and small boats held in Lake Michigan, Okefenokee on the east coast of Florida, and Everglades, Florida. Athletes have 8 days to navigate their craft over distances of roughly 250 to 300 miles.
Bridge-To-Bridge Trans-Tasman Race - begins at the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia and finishes at the Auckland Harbour Bridge in New Zealand, crossing the Tasman Sea. Boats expected to take between 2 and 6 weeks to complete with four people, three rowing at one time.
Devizes-Westminster - UK race with 75 portages, starts at Devizes Wharf, Wiltshire, running 53 miles along the Kennet and Avon canals to Reading, then 72 miles on the River Thames to Westminster Bridge, with the last 17 miles are on the tidal Thames
Richard Jones - attempting to become the second American to cross the Atlantic
Nat Stone - rowed from New York to New Orleans via the Hudson, Ohio, and Mississippi. He is planning to completing the circle back to New York through the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic.
Tori Murden - completed Atlantic crossing in December 1999, her Letters from the Edge are still some of the best reading about ocean rowing, and about sea passages in general.
Eco-Challenge - expedition-style format team event produced by Mark Burnett
Elf Athentic Adventure - organized by legendary Gérard Fusil (known as the founding father of the sport of expedition-style multi-sport team adventure racing events) with support of Elf Aquitaine. After creating the Raid Gauloises, he designed Elf Authentic Adventure which is a bit different concept among this type of adventure racing events. Event has 3 categories: extreme, adventure, and discovery, which allow different skill and fitness level of participants to start in the same category, and along the route determine their classification. GPS is allowed, although experienced navigation is required. Disciplines: orienteering, sailing, mountain bike, horse riding, sea kayaking, swimming, climbing and vertical technique. 7-person teams plus 3-person support crew.
Four Winds Mountain Rage Series - events in the Southwest, also expedition-style format USA Supreme Adventure Race. 2 and 4-person teams
Odyssey Adventure Racing - race management organization that specializes in the adventure racing & multisport events with distances from sprint to multi-day and ultras (tel. (757) 425-2445). Events include Beast of the East, Odyssey Mega Doze, and numerous other events. OAR also offers an Odyssey Adventure Racing Academy where athletes can learn and train in all the aspects of the adventure racing.
Mild Seven Outdoor Quest Adventure Race - in November, in Lijiang, a city in Yunnan in the southwest of China. 4-stage 4-day event, over 380 kilometers with 7 sporting disciplines (mountain biking, trail running, in-line skating, paddling native Chinese boat, kayaking, adventure skills and team biathlon (biking and running).
Southern Traverse - team race in Canterbury in the South Island of New Zealand
Wasatch Adventure Race - 48-hour non-stop event. Teams of 2 and 4 navigate over 100 mile course, unassisted, through 11,000 feet peaks of Utah, USA
Western Isles Challenge - 3-day stage race in Scotland: 80km hill running, 250km road and mountain biking, and 45km sea-kayaking. Solo and team divisions. Around half of the distance must be covered on foot, and the remainder by any form of non-motorised transport. In the team relay each individual doesn't need to cover the whole course.
24 Hours of Aspen - downhill event where skiers race in pairs and must remain within a few feet of each other. Teammates are allowed to draft during a downhill runs. Unlike classic endurance events, this race requires short bursts of anaerobic activity (usually between two and three minutes on the slopes) alternated with rest (while riding the gondola to the top). Over the course of 24 hours, racers spend about 3 hours skiing, 1 hour loading in the lower gondola, and 20 hours resting their weary legs in the gondola.
Skating Events
Elfstedentocht - the Netherlands' one-day skating race along the frosen canals: 143 miles through 11 towns.
New York 100KM - homepage of the New York City Skate Marathon and New York 100K, one of inline racing's premier events, with half-, classic- and ultra-marathon distance options
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race - a race over the Iditarod Trail, from Anchorage to Nome. The mushers travel about 1,150 miles from checkpoint to checkpoint much as the freight mushers did eighty years ago.
Tevis Cap Ride - 100 mile horseback race from Lake Tahoe to Auburn, California
Old Dominion - located in the Shenandoah National Park in Northern Virginia, this is one of the best known endurance rides in the US, as well as being a qualifying ride for the Pan Am Championship
Paris-Dakar Rally - 6,000 mile rally across North Africa with motorcycle, car, and trucks classes
Raid de Himalaya - off-road car and motorcycle rally, starts every year in October from Shimla Himachal Pradesh.
Desert Racing - coverage of all Baja and US off-road rally races
Best Ranger Competition - Ft. Benning, GA, Annual David E. Grange Jr. Best Ranger Competition features Ranger-qualified competitors struggling through 60 continuous hours of military events. When the Best Ranger Competition was started, it began as a competition to determine who the best two-man buddy team was in the Ranger Department at Ft. Benning. Over the years, the competition has been expanded to determine who is the best two-man buddy team in the entire US Armed Forces and can also include teams from foreign countries. The 3 days of competition includes physical and mental tasks which must be completed with very little rest between events. Failure to complete some of the events will cause a team to be dropped from the rest of the contest. Historical attrition rate of approximately 60%.
