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The Practical Guide to Ultra Endurance

Learn to Go Farther
Than One Day

Find a race, adapt a training framework, and build a pacing or crew plan for 24-hour, 48-hour, six-day, backyard, and stage events.

Around the race calendar

Races & Results

Calendar snapshot: . Race windows follow listed dates; organizers provide live updates.

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Racing now

2 listed
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Next 30 days

34 races

Starting after today, through Nov 25, 2026.

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Latest results

  • ISOPOL Super24

    The published 24-hour timing results list Octavian Ciorescu first with 249.561 km and Szilvia Hudák first woman with 204.765 km; final confirmation remains pending.

    Read results →
  • Smurf's Backyard Ultra

    Murray Macpherson and Ben Sinnott both completed 24 yards (about 161 km) and stopped together, so the race had no winner, while Kelly Romano was last woman standing with 23 yards.

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  • Laufwochenende Brugg

    Julia Fatton covered 329.397 km in the 48-hour race; Christian Stolovitz led the men with 316.897 km.

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Beyond the marathon

What Is Multiday Running?

Multiday running covers events whose clock or stages extend through day-night cycles or across several days. From 24-hour tracks to week-long stage races, the format makes walking, food, rest, equipment, support, and changing conditions part of the plan.

New to the broader sport? Start with how long an ultramarathon is and how fixed-distance, timed, and multiday formats differ.

Read the full introduction →
Trail runner leaping across mountain rocks at sunset

Not Just Speed

Pacing, food tolerance, rest, equipment, and problem-solving can matter alongside fitness.

Mental Skills Matter

Boredom, motivation, and problem-solving can influence persistence alongside physical fitness.

A Community Sport

Crews, pacers, aid station volunteers, and fellow runners all shape the race.

Find your format

Choose Your Path

Multiday running comes in many formats. Each demands different preparation, strategy, and gear. Compare the rules, support, withdrawal plan, and skills you are prepared to practice.

Runner stretching in misty park at dawnClose-up of runners' legs during a raceGroup of runners on a sunlit trail

24-hour tracks · Mountain crossings · Desert stages · One community

Evidence-informed

From the Research

Our guides draw on current exercise physiology, biomechanics, and sports psychology research where evidence exists, with uncertainty and study limits explained. Read our editorial policy for how sources, illustrative examples, and professional review are distinguished.

152,567

North American ultra finishes recorded in 2025

UltraRunning Magazine participation table

12.5×

Odds ratio linking higher boredom with an action crisis in one mixed solo/relay 24-hour study

Weich et al., 2022

5.0%

Fastest-ever men’s–women’s 100 km performance gap in one analysis

Zingg et al., 2014

A better race-day rule

Persistence Never Outranks Safety

Ordinary fatigue and doubt may pass. Confusion, involuntary sleep, loss of coordination, collapse, chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, or repeated vomiting call for a stop and medical assessment—not a motivational slogan.