RECREATION

Everything you need to know about ultramarathons

Jay Taft
Rockford Register Star
Chris, right, and Terry Remof of Byron raise their arms after winning the 10K race in Idaho while on vacation there last July. While that race was not long enough to be an ultramarathon, the pair have raced in multiple competitions that have over the past four years.

Runners are still everywhere, but nowadays, not all of them want to stay on the road — or even on the trail.

So, off the beaten path they go, and the distances are climbing to crazy heights as well. Ultramarathons are popping up worldwide, and the trend is hitting hardcore runners in Rockford and across the Midwest.

According to Ultra Running Magazine, there are 51 ultramarathons planned for Illinois alone this year.

But what, exactly, is an ultramarathon, and who can run one?

Here is everything you need to know:

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What is it?

An ultramarathon is any running race that is longer than a marathon, which is 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers). Ultramarathons can be all off-road or any combination.

Who does it?

It's not for the faint of heart, or for the weak-minded. Ultramarathoners are generally former distance runners and former marathon runners who continue to up the ante until they are running races that can last for days.

How long can they be?

Ultramarathons start at 50K and go up, with standard distances being 50K, 100K and 100-milers. And there are ultra races of all distances and formats.

What are the most famous ones around the Rockford area?

The Kettle Moraine 100 is in Kettle Moraine, Wisconsin, where they have run endurance races for 25 years now. They will once again have 100, 100K, 50K and 38-mile courses for this year's June 10-11 races.

Closer to home, there is the Pinetum Mind Games Endurance Event near Dixon, which is a 6-, 12-, or 24-hour race around a .44 mile loop. These races will be held on July 14.

In September, the Rockford Road Runners will host the Rock Cut Hobo Trail Runs, which are 10, 25 and 50K races through Rock Cut State Park in the dark.

Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on Twitter at @JayTaftSign up for the Rockford High School newsletter at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a wide variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears to youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star, and for over 30 years all together.