What Happens To Your Body During An Ultramarathon

Ultramarathons are races ranging from 50 to 4,345 km. During races, the most common problems for runners are nausea and vomiting. Some runners may get blurry vision. Sleepiness and hallucinations are problems in longer races lasting more than 24 hours.

Following is a transcript of the video:

Ultramarathons are a growing sport in the US and globally. In these grueling tests of human endurance, your body can go through a lot of stress. Following is a transcript of the video.

In 2018, more than 108-thousand people finished ultramarathons in the US alone. An ultramarathon is any race longer than 42 kilometers. Races can range anywhere from 50 to over 4,000 kilometers. But one of the more common lengths covers about 100 kilometers and takes, on average, 17 hours to finish.

In some of the longer races, half of the runners never see the finish line. Because these races not only push you to your mental limit they take a toll on your body both inside and out.

Ultra runners endure pretty extreme conditions. The Badwater Ultramarathon, for example, covers over 4,000 meters of elevation through Death Valley, in July, one of the hottest months of the year. Temperatures reach up to 47 degrees Celsius, causing headaches and dizziness in many runners.

But even if you’re running in more comfortable weather, you could be feeling sick to your stomach. One of the most common issues in any ultramarathon is nausea and/or vomiting. It affects about 37% of people who complete a race, but it’s also the number one reason runners won’t finish in the first place. 

That’s because running disrupts your digestion.  It diverts blood away from your stomach to your muscles. And since ultramarathons last so long, many races provide sandwiches, pasta, and other carb-loaded meals. As a result, that food will sit around undigested, causing problems. But if your stomach isn’t slowing you down, your eyes could be causing you grief.

Windy conditions can dry out or damage the cells that pump a protective liquid layer over your cornea, which can cause your cornea to swell up and blur your vision. During the Hellgate 100K for example, runners report losing most of their vision by the end. They call it “Hellgate Eyes.”

But no amount of protection or preparation can prevent one symptom: Sleepiness. For a 17-hour race, it might not be so bad. But longer races can stretch to more than 24 hours, which can make sleepy runners more prone to trips and falls or worse, hallucinations.

The Barkley Marathons, for example, is a race where runners are given 60 hours to finish 161 km. In 2005, one runner reported that he thought he saw houses at the top of the mountain and believed he was their garbageman sent to pick up the trash.

Despite all these health hazards, ultrarunning is a growing sport. One study found that compared to marathoners, ultrarunners are more likely to do it for nature and a sense of purpose than for the competitive aspect. So if you’re up for the challenge, plenty of races are on trails through natural areas, so at least you’ll get a great view!

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What Happens To Your Body During An Ultramarathon

[Linkmon]

I run a lot, and I’ve even ran a pretty quick marathon. But when I finished that marathon I said “man I don’t think I’ll ever try running farther than this” when my legs almost gave out in exhaustion.. honestly that’s because ultra running is a whole different type of sport, it’s not about speed it’s just about survival

[HTPCYMC]

You ever just run to flex on walking people.

[ChristopherMoom]

During an Ultramarathon, your body goes Ultra Instinct

[karsu]

Ran several ultras now....yup. This is all true. Heck I get sleepy at 10 hrs.

[seththomas]

I personally really enjoy ultras. I'm a mid pack runner at best, so the effort level is always pretty low with lots of walking when going uphill. I've ran five or six ultras now, including one last week, up to fifty miles. Unlike a 5k or 10k, which is basically a full on sprint until you finish, an ultra requires being smart, pacing yourself, and being cognizant of your food/water intake. Short of that, it'll hurt some towards the end, but it's an almost transcendental experience each time. You're capable of way more than you might think.

[jgall]

Why am I watching this, I will never run an Ultramarathon

[emtydoctrine]

Well, as an ultra-runner, I completed all races up to a 50K and doing a second attempt for a 50M in September. Pacing, Fueling, and Hydration are key components for best success for finishing an ultra race.

[butterplayz_yt]

Runs marathon, runs a few more meters after crossing finish line
Me: I’m a bit of an athlete too

[nrbeck]

During my first 100 miler, I yelled at a trash bin. Thought it was a person in the middle of the sidewalk.

[SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

I’m the ultramarathon champion, just ask my TV channel lady. She’ll tell you all about it. Yup, I even beat the former record holder Aladeen

[Mookiethedog]

I’ve run ultras and love them. My longest is only 52km so I’ve happily avoided all the bad stuff. The good stuff is the training and racing is amazing for my mental health. I find being out in nature therapeutic and the whole process gives me a beautiful sense of purpose. Thks for your video!

[EdgarsLapins]

That's strange, I've finished somewhere between 10-15 ultras, and I have many friends in the community. Yet I've only ever heard of a few isolated incidents of vomiting and nausea. Never experienced it myself. Would be good to see what kind of ultra runner survey is behind that data, what was their sample.
In any case, it's important to note that the races mentioned here are some of the toughest in the world (e.g. Badwater and Barkley). One does not simply go there without many years of experience and gradually more tougher ultras races behind one's belt.

Also, like someone else mentioned in the comments, the key ingredients to a good ultra experience are:
1) proper pacing (i.e. knowing your pace, not going too fast, never pushing yourself too hard),
2) fueling (eating things your body can digest easily, such as bananas, sports bars, sports gels, sports drinks and similar - I mean wtf was that about pasta, food like that is only ever served after the race),
3) hydration (knowing approx. how much you sweat per an hour when running, and therefore running with a backpack which will usually hold anywhere from 0.7L, for the world's top ultra athletes, to 2L of water or sports drink, for people like me, in special reservoirs).
And as for sleepiness - realistically, no-one really has to start worrying about that until they are doing races which come close to 24h in length.

[koberowland]

Who is watching this because u love David goggins

[jaswindersinghnarula]

I clicked looking at 100 degree. Thinking how is this even possible. Then I realized it's America. Weird with units.

[dehepicguy]

I personally have done an ultramarathon, with the longest distance I have gone being 30 miles. I totally agree with what this video has to say on how your body is affected physically. Even though that’s only 4 miles more than a marathon, my body felt like glass and when I had to sidestep out do the way for a bike towards the end that was enough to make me come to a dead stop cramp. Our bodies were not physically designed to run that far, but I can understand the wanting to fulfill purpose as that was my intention of finishing it in the past. Good video spreading awareness about this!

[thechosenone]

The barkleys is the hardest u can ever do! Only 17 runners finished the run. Since 1986

[Tara_Masika]

One guy that ran the Barkley was tripping so hard, he couldn't use his map. He said it kept turning into photos of his family!

[XEinstein]

I actually quite like the hallucinations during endurance events. So far they've been pretty funny. Once I saw a gnome stroll by.

[BT_Spanky]

I’ve ran and completed two full marathons. I hope to finish an ultramarathon someday.
Just bucket listing....

[AndresGarcia-vvbr]

I ran my first 100km for a fundraiser. It was around my school’s track (I’m 17). I ran 250 laps. I started running at midnight and finished at 7 pm. But I started feeling sleepy only after two hours of running.