Ahansal [four-time race winner] after three stages," said one friend.The emails were just one example of the Marathon des Sables' faultless organization. If you're new to ultra running, I can't think of a safer, more accessible introduction to stage racing

change? DLA. So the last six miles is like another 20, eh? What if it’s like 50, 40, 30, 10, 6, 3, 2 or 1? If you predict it will be massive distance or a nightmare, then it is likely to be.What about double marathon runners or ultra runners, how do

to start to live my lifeas it was intended. The love and support here is like nothing I have ever encountered before.I make no apology for the sentimental speech because it isn't sentiment. I mean it. Every word(ok when's the next marathon and who

)1Midsummer Munro Half-Marathon, Surrey When? June 21 Why? Described by one runner as "a fabulous nightmare", the course is eight vertiginous ascents and descents of Box Hill in Surrey, totalling over 915m of ascent – the equivalent of a Scottish Munro

of them on the race thread...). Your correspondent was continually on the alert for quotable quotes on the day, and some of the more memorable lines and thoughts are detailed below:"Nine miles in those conditions were the equivalent of a marathon; an ultra

I actually remember filling out the entry form for the 50-Mile Challenge, thinking it was such a good idea. I'm in the second year of a four-year build-up to the 89km Comrades Marathon in South Africa in 2007. I thought that running the 50 would

If you were in any doubt about the magic and madness of running the Flora London Marathon, these quotes and stories are just the ticket. From the lunatic to the life-affirming, they're all the reason you need for counting down to the arrival of next

) Growing numbers of runners are looking beyond the mental and physical challenge of a marathon for their next long-distance goal, and this 40-mile point-to-point fixture along the Grand Union Canal is both the ideal introduction to ultras and great

in marathoning wildlife. I am sorry to report the Womble population is on the decline, with only two making an appearance. Maybe the WWF should be notified and capture a breeding pair at the finish line. And although rhinos may be increasingly rare in the wild

pull them on to clean the oven or wash the car, we're inspired to dig out the training diary that records our best ever marathon performance, or gives us clues as to why we dropped out of a 10K, and use the valuable racing lessons our old tops provide