Multiday races

Multiday races are ultramarathon running events which are typically either segmented into daily events of a specified distance or time, or staged so that runners can run as far as they want, at their own discretion, over a set course or over a set number of days. Multiday races can range from continuous 48-hour track events to staged transcontinental treks.

Very long endurance running events can be divided into three broad categories: the traditional 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon, the ultramarathon, defined as any event longer than the marathon, and true multiday events, which begin with the 48-hour event and can stretch out almost indefinitely, often ranging from six days to 3,000 miles (4,800 km) or longer.

Ultramarathons, of which multiday races are a subset, include events of any distance beyond the traditional marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi). Common ultra events include 100-mile (160 km) and 100 kilometer races. Ultras are usually considered to include all events of 50 kilometers or longer, although the 50-mile (80 km) race is regarded as the shortest true ultra. Depending on the degree of terrain difficulty, up to 30 hours or more is generally allowed for runners to complete typical ultras, for example the Badwater Ultramarathon.

Many multiday races are held on tracks or measured loops, which eases provision of aid station support for runners. Stage races are the alternative; these include point to point races such as the Trans-American races, which traverse the North American continent coast to coast, and the Gobi March, a seven-day journey across the Gobi desert, the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon, a 7-day, 250 km trail event in the Kalahari Desert, and the Yukon Arctic Ultra, a 430/300/100/26 mile challenge crossing Yukon in the dead of winter.

Longer multiday races include the Trans-Europe race, which ran from Lisbon to Moscow in 2003, a distance of about 5,100 kilometers. These events take the runner to a different level, where the race becomes a way of life and where nutrition, sleep, energy and psychological states have to be carefully managed. The Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race is the longest certified footrace in the world.

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