An ultra-marathon is a
running race that tests the
bounds of
human sanity even more than your usual
marathon. The
Leadville Trail 100, for instance, is a great example. It has an
excessive distance (100 Miles),
hostile environment (
Colorado Wilderness, at 10,000ft of
elevation and up), and long
running time (up to 30 hours).
People who run these races call themselves
ultra-runners. They seem to
average around
40 years of age. These people use
ordinary marathons as
training runs.