The second edition takes place in October. The Grand to Grand Ultra takes runners over coral-colored sand dunes, through slot canyons, and past alien hoodoos on this 147-mile, seven-day self-supported race, which climbs 19,000 feet along the way. And the vast stretch of Utah desert between the two? It’s one of the most beautiful, diverse arid regions in the world. Grand to Grand Ultra The Grand Canyon is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the sandstone cliffs of the Grand Staircase are among the West’s most important geologic formations. Even though the course is well-trodden (over 1,000 competitors sign up every year), there’s still real danger in the desert: three runners have died on the route. And even if it’s relatively easygoing on the hardpan, April temperatures reach well over 100 degrees, which means no section of the MDS is ever relaxing. The sand is so fine that it absorbs the foot’s momentum, turning big sections of the course into a literal slog. One of the primary difficulties of the Marathon des Sables, a six-day, 154-mile trek through the Sahara in southern Morocco, is that in many parts you really can’t run. Marathon des Sables One of the primary difficulties of the Marathon des Sables, a six-day, 154-mile trek through the Sahara in southern Morocco, is that in many parts you really can’t run. Think you have what it takes? Finish one of these nine races, and everything afterward will seem like a neighborhood fun run. They’re extra long, incredibly tough, and take the type of commitment and logistics once needed for climbing a Himalayan peak, all brought to bear in some of the world’s most dazzling landscapes. It seems like every endurance runner is prepping for one.įortunately for runners with a hankering for the extreme, there’s a class of ultramarathon that’s a step above the rest. Today, the word “ultra” has been slapped on laundry detergent, lite beer, and any marathon that takes a step beyond 26.2 miles. Used to be that running a 50- or 100-mile race earned you bragging rights for life. The Toughest Ultras/Marathon des Sables 2011
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