I entered this world of ultra trailrunning in 2012, and I've felt the same drift that you're talking about, so my first impulse was to just agree with this post. But as I think about my own experiences with the sport — running a bunch of ultras (both high and low-profile), organizing a hundred-miler, and being part of a vibrant local trail community — I realize the situation is more nuanced than that. I think that everything we learned to love about the sport when we were starting out is still here, but it's diluted by a lot of other stuff (the things you mention), so we might have to look harder to find it. The real question is whether there's room for both (or multiple) versions. So far I think there probably is, and I think I like having the option of going old-school for one race, new-school/high-tech for the next.
Agree 100%That is why I started listening to TJM in 2018 while training for my first Ultra . I love your statement a podcast to run with your running friends while running solo . Ran my first 100 miler at Badger and returned 2 yrs later . Love what you have done for runners like me . Back of the pack but still important
You put into words what I’ve been feeling the last couple of years. I’ve been running ultras since 1995. So I’m probably even more old school than even you are. I know I will never get into those big lottery races, but these days I really don’t care. Just turning 70, I just want to have a great time with great people at a race that is well done. That is why I appreciate the Ten Junk Miles races as well as the local races put on by Bill Thom, such as the Paleozoic races. Thanks for all you do for our part of the sport.
Partly you are right, it's the "seasoned" runner talking about the glory days. Exposure, and your own development/education within a discipline will lead to that. It's a phenomena called the Golden age perception. Runners older than you put the high marker further back than you, runners younger farther forward. The "peak" always seems to be in the past completely dependent on the users age and experience. Perhaps we need a historian, not involved in the sport to put specific markers, without bias to a specific age or time frame.
However, that said. I believe you are right, the money/social media/ sponsorship influence that has most definitely changed the sport. I am not lamenting it, just acknowledging (an aside: I would suggest the trend happened much sooner in the European countries, since they seem to treat Ultrarunners like rockstars, while 70% of US folks still don't even know the sport exists.).
Two overlapping trends, the blooming of social media, and the growth of the sport (surely intertwined, chicken and egg?). Popularity and participation creates the market, then the advertisers and other money sources get interested in it. In 2000, there were less than a few thousand people who completed a 100 mile race. Last year, it was 60,000. And that is only the number of 100's, now add in the growth of 50K and 50 mile, and you can see the growth, and interest from advertisers looking to appeal to a market; they want the top performers as advocates. (how many 200 miler, or 6 day events were even around 20 years ago?)
Social media did something else. A nostalgia for the "good old days". Grass roots connectivity created events that stripped away the 200 dollar (2000?) entry fee, the swag bag. The creation of hundreds of "fat ass" or FKT attempts. This is hard to track since by their nature they don't have registrations, etc.
Yes, the top competition elites won't be there, just like an NFL player won't be at your thanksgiving touch football game. That happens when there is money, contracts involved.
Runners will still come up from ranks before they reach elite status (I hope), so keep your eye out for the next Courtney.
Scott - you have mentioned multiple times on the podcast that the stories mid the back of the pack are as heroic in their own way as the elites and I agree. I love the community around TJM and hearing about regular people doing extraordinary things. You keep finding them, doing Long Runs with them and we get to learn more about how great this community really is. I like the live streamed events, especially the ones I know I'll never get into. As long as we don't become NASCAR-esque with sponsorships all over everything, I'm good with the changes at the sport's higher end. There will always be the smaller, more family-ish events and those are where you'll find me - close to the back but enjoying it as best I can.
In November I "ran" the tunnel hill 50 miler, the 100 milers do the same course twice. While I was was still far from finishing, these amazing runners were lapping me and they still looked fresh. My running companion said to me "those are some of the greatest athletes nobody knows" I believe he was right.
My wish is that there could be a bit of balance in it all. I enjoy watching the livestreams from time to time and seeing more coverage of a sport I love. But how do we keep that from taking over the sport completely and turning it into a giant us vs them competition? Maybe I'm greedy, but I want both. I want a sport that celebrates every single participant, but I also love a little bit of spectacle sometimes. Maybe it's just not possible and I'm being naive.
Just like the rest of our society, as something gains popularity money moves into the larger events, which inevitably changes them and some of the sport. BUT there are many races (older and new) that still have that “golden age” feel to them. Most every race I personally run (including one I co-race direct) has no sponsors, a super-fun vibe, and are incredibly welcoming to everyone! While it’s fun to see who finishes in the front of the pack, (especially for people who are awed by the accomplishments but don’t personally participate,) the fun and challenge is what 90+% of the participants still sign up for. When I work the Mile 19 JFK 50 aid station every year, almost nobody in the top 50 even stops at our aid station. We cheer them on and are amazed by them flying by at a typical 5k race pace, but the middle to back of the pack are the ones we have the most fun with. They are celebrated and pampered like superstars and most of them couldn’t name the winner that day, a race sponsor, or the course record holders. The attention by much of the media may have shifted as popularity has grown in this sport, but I find most races are still as fun as ever and most aid stations are stepping up their fun game as well!
I’m running a VHTRC event next month that lowers their registration cost by 10 cents every year! There is still soul in this sport as long as people directing big races put significant focus on the majority of their runners and others are willing to put on low key fun races!
Maybe it's because I'm an unjustified romantic, like how I dream about dragging a sled across Alaska (even though I've never dragged a sled for more than a few miles), but I came into this sport with my eyes full of stars and my heart full of longing. I wandered in because the stories I found in ultrarunning were so far beyond anything I'd read on or of the roads, listening to Talk Ultra long before trails entered my regular diet. People like Timothy Olson and Adam Campbell having conversations like anyone else, fitting hundos into their busy lives just like you or me, running in whatever scraps of time they could cobble together. It made it all seem close enough to touch.
I can't help but think that some of those storytelling traditions are fading away, and with it, the mythology of the phenomenal everyday person. They feel less relatable, less like our friends, and I think it's by design. They're Athletes with a capital A, not athletes like us.
I don't know that I would have fallen in love like I did without the introduction I had, and all I can do is keep sharing stories and supporting the storytellers.
I started paying attention to ultrarunning in 2007 after my ex adopted long-distance running as I was cultivating my passion for endurance cycling. I'll never stop feeling bemused about how he shot to the top of the sport, all while (from my perspective) never being all that serious about his training and having no sponsors. I knew he had talent because he did well for the short time he was a collegiate cross-country runner a decade earlier. But still, he was like me ... a regular schmo who loved the outdoors. We participated in all kinds of activities together and it would have never occurred to me that he was an elite athlete.
What's interesting about Geoff's era is that there was already a lot of discussion about how the sport had become too commercialized and sold out. Those were the Karnazes and Born to Run years, after all. That whole time, I was watching my goofy ex-boyfriend break the Western States record and thinking, "This is not a serious sport."
It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it? I certainly have much more respect for the sport these days, but I still have an, "Oh, good for you!" reaction when an ultrarunner gains the national spotlight.
Is she? Maybe, but it doesn't really matter to me, because I appreciate that this is a sport ANYONE can participate in, I can participate in, and in some instances, I even have a shot at placing in an event!
That's the true beauty of it – in a world where elite athletics often feels like a closed circle of genetically gifted individuals, ultrarunning stands as a testament to inclusivity. Whether you're tall or short, young or old, naturally athletic or just starting your fitness journey, there's a place for you in an ultra.
I've watched people from all walks of life participate in this sport: the former high school athlete rediscovering their competitive spirit, the grandmother proving age is just a number, the person with physical limitations demonstrating that adaptation breeds innovation. Each of them brings something unique to the community, and each has the potential to excel in their own way.
The multi-faceted nature of the sport means that success isn't limited to a single body type or skill set.
So yes, maybe Courtney is the "last" of something, but there are far more ultrarunners out there that I am interested in knowing about.
I totally get you on this one. And Courtney always has been so nice, friendly, and normal to me when I see her. I have less and less interest listening to or following the chatter on Singletrack, Freetrail, the livestreams, the Instagram influencers, and all the others trying to be faster/better/cooler. Thanks for writing.
I entered this world of ultra trailrunning in 2012, and I've felt the same drift that you're talking about, so my first impulse was to just agree with this post. But as I think about my own experiences with the sport — running a bunch of ultras (both high and low-profile), organizing a hundred-miler, and being part of a vibrant local trail community — I realize the situation is more nuanced than that. I think that everything we learned to love about the sport when we were starting out is still here, but it's diluted by a lot of other stuff (the things you mention), so we might have to look harder to find it. The real question is whether there's room for both (or multiple) versions. So far I think there probably is, and I think I like having the option of going old-school for one race, new-school/high-tech for the next.
Perfectly said!
Agree 100%That is why I started listening to TJM in 2018 while training for my first Ultra . I love your statement a podcast to run with your running friends while running solo . Ran my first 100 miler at Badger and returned 2 yrs later . Love what you have done for runners like me . Back of the pack but still important
Scott,
You put into words what I’ve been feeling the last couple of years. I’ve been running ultras since 1995. So I’m probably even more old school than even you are. I know I will never get into those big lottery races, but these days I really don’t care. Just turning 70, I just want to have a great time with great people at a race that is well done. That is why I appreciate the Ten Junk Miles races as well as the local races put on by Bill Thom, such as the Paleozoic races. Thanks for all you do for our part of the sport.
Partly you are right, it's the "seasoned" runner talking about the glory days. Exposure, and your own development/education within a discipline will lead to that. It's a phenomena called the Golden age perception. Runners older than you put the high marker further back than you, runners younger farther forward. The "peak" always seems to be in the past completely dependent on the users age and experience. Perhaps we need a historian, not involved in the sport to put specific markers, without bias to a specific age or time frame.
However, that said. I believe you are right, the money/social media/ sponsorship influence that has most definitely changed the sport. I am not lamenting it, just acknowledging (an aside: I would suggest the trend happened much sooner in the European countries, since they seem to treat Ultrarunners like rockstars, while 70% of US folks still don't even know the sport exists.).
Two overlapping trends, the blooming of social media, and the growth of the sport (surely intertwined, chicken and egg?). Popularity and participation creates the market, then the advertisers and other money sources get interested in it. In 2000, there were less than a few thousand people who completed a 100 mile race. Last year, it was 60,000. And that is only the number of 100's, now add in the growth of 50K and 50 mile, and you can see the growth, and interest from advertisers looking to appeal to a market; they want the top performers as advocates. (how many 200 miler, or 6 day events were even around 20 years ago?)
Social media did something else. A nostalgia for the "good old days". Grass roots connectivity created events that stripped away the 200 dollar (2000?) entry fee, the swag bag. The creation of hundreds of "fat ass" or FKT attempts. This is hard to track since by their nature they don't have registrations, etc.
Yes, the top competition elites won't be there, just like an NFL player won't be at your thanksgiving touch football game. That happens when there is money, contracts involved.
Runners will still come up from ranks before they reach elite status (I hope), so keep your eye out for the next Courtney.
Scott - you have mentioned multiple times on the podcast that the stories mid the back of the pack are as heroic in their own way as the elites and I agree. I love the community around TJM and hearing about regular people doing extraordinary things. You keep finding them, doing Long Runs with them and we get to learn more about how great this community really is. I like the live streamed events, especially the ones I know I'll never get into. As long as we don't become NASCAR-esque with sponsorships all over everything, I'm good with the changes at the sport's higher end. There will always be the smaller, more family-ish events and those are where you'll find me - close to the back but enjoying it as best I can.
In November I "ran" the tunnel hill 50 miler, the 100 milers do the same course twice. While I was was still far from finishing, these amazing runners were lapping me and they still looked fresh. My running companion said to me "those are some of the greatest athletes nobody knows" I believe he was right.
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
My wish is that there could be a bit of balance in it all. I enjoy watching the livestreams from time to time and seeing more coverage of a sport I love. But how do we keep that from taking over the sport completely and turning it into a giant us vs them competition? Maybe I'm greedy, but I want both. I want a sport that celebrates every single participant, but I also love a little bit of spectacle sometimes. Maybe it's just not possible and I'm being naive.
Great thoughts as usual Scott!
Just like the rest of our society, as something gains popularity money moves into the larger events, which inevitably changes them and some of the sport. BUT there are many races (older and new) that still have that “golden age” feel to them. Most every race I personally run (including one I co-race direct) has no sponsors, a super-fun vibe, and are incredibly welcoming to everyone! While it’s fun to see who finishes in the front of the pack, (especially for people who are awed by the accomplishments but don’t personally participate,) the fun and challenge is what 90+% of the participants still sign up for. When I work the Mile 19 JFK 50 aid station every year, almost nobody in the top 50 even stops at our aid station. We cheer them on and are amazed by them flying by at a typical 5k race pace, but the middle to back of the pack are the ones we have the most fun with. They are celebrated and pampered like superstars and most of them couldn’t name the winner that day, a race sponsor, or the course record holders. The attention by much of the media may have shifted as popularity has grown in this sport, but I find most races are still as fun as ever and most aid stations are stepping up their fun game as well!
I’m running a VHTRC event next month that lowers their registration cost by 10 cents every year! There is still soul in this sport as long as people directing big races put significant focus on the majority of their runners and others are willing to put on low key fun races!
Maybe it's because I'm an unjustified romantic, like how I dream about dragging a sled across Alaska (even though I've never dragged a sled for more than a few miles), but I came into this sport with my eyes full of stars and my heart full of longing. I wandered in because the stories I found in ultrarunning were so far beyond anything I'd read on or of the roads, listening to Talk Ultra long before trails entered my regular diet. People like Timothy Olson and Adam Campbell having conversations like anyone else, fitting hundos into their busy lives just like you or me, running in whatever scraps of time they could cobble together. It made it all seem close enough to touch.
I can't help but think that some of those storytelling traditions are fading away, and with it, the mythology of the phenomenal everyday person. They feel less relatable, less like our friends, and I think it's by design. They're Athletes with a capital A, not athletes like us.
I don't know that I would have fallen in love like I did without the introduction I had, and all I can do is keep sharing stories and supporting the storytellers.
100% amen Scotty.
I started paying attention to ultrarunning in 2007 after my ex adopted long-distance running as I was cultivating my passion for endurance cycling. I'll never stop feeling bemused about how he shot to the top of the sport, all while (from my perspective) never being all that serious about his training and having no sponsors. I knew he had talent because he did well for the short time he was a collegiate cross-country runner a decade earlier. But still, he was like me ... a regular schmo who loved the outdoors. We participated in all kinds of activities together and it would have never occurred to me that he was an elite athlete.
What's interesting about Geoff's era is that there was already a lot of discussion about how the sport had become too commercialized and sold out. Those were the Karnazes and Born to Run years, after all. That whole time, I was watching my goofy ex-boyfriend break the Western States record and thinking, "This is not a serious sport."
It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it? I certainly have much more respect for the sport these days, but I still have an, "Oh, good for you!" reaction when an ultrarunner gains the national spotlight.
Is she? Maybe, but it doesn't really matter to me, because I appreciate that this is a sport ANYONE can participate in, I can participate in, and in some instances, I even have a shot at placing in an event!
That's the true beauty of it – in a world where elite athletics often feels like a closed circle of genetically gifted individuals, ultrarunning stands as a testament to inclusivity. Whether you're tall or short, young or old, naturally athletic or just starting your fitness journey, there's a place for you in an ultra.
I've watched people from all walks of life participate in this sport: the former high school athlete rediscovering their competitive spirit, the grandmother proving age is just a number, the person with physical limitations demonstrating that adaptation breeds innovation. Each of them brings something unique to the community, and each has the potential to excel in their own way.
The multi-faceted nature of the sport means that success isn't limited to a single body type or skill set.
So yes, maybe Courtney is the "last" of something, but there are far more ultrarunners out there that I am interested in knowing about.
I totally get you on this one. And Courtney always has been so nice, friendly, and normal to me when I see her. I have less and less interest listening to or following the chatter on Singletrack, Freetrail, the livestreams, the Instagram influencers, and all the others trying to be faster/better/cooler. Thanks for writing.