My Most Unforgettable Ultramarathon (And What I Learned From It)
By
Doug Kurtis
of
Marathon & Beyond
PIETERMARITZBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, June 16, 1997--Some 30 miles into the famed
Comrades Marathon in South Africa I was already in trouble. I had just run the
toughest marathon of my life, and I still had 25 miles to go. Three questions
went through my mind. Should I quit, or should I stick it out and finish? Can I
finish? And how could I have prepared myself differently for this arduous and
heart-breaking event?
In retrospect, I thought I had done all the right things. In January I
decided that Comrades would be my initiation into the World of Ultras. I had six
months to prepare. Six months to research the event, make travel plans, set up
contacts, and seek out the advice of ultra experts.
I'd been thinking about doing an ultra for several years. I had run
back-to-back marathons and as many as four marathons in five weeks. I thought I
would be a natural for ultras. When Alberto Salazar won Comrades in 1994, I
figured that his competition must have been soft. He hadn't won a marathon in
many years. Since I was still doing well in my marathons at age 45, I believed I
was capable of finishing in the lead pack. What I didn't realize was that prize
money wasn't offered at Comrades until 1995, and with the arrival of prize
money, the competition always gets tougher.
Running Through the Internet
My Comrades research began on the Internet. The Comrades Marathon has one of
the best web sites of any race in the world. I found course maps, an entry form,
hotel and restaurant information, and a history of the race, including a list of
all past winners dating back to 1921. I made contact with several ultrarunners
who had completed the race, and all of them told me that this was by far the
best ultra to run.
The Internet had also led me to several additional sources of information.
Lore of Running by Dr. Tim Noakes contained a plethora of data on
Comrades. Tim had run the race himself. His own account gave me the impression
of an event steeped in tradition-an event that thousands of South Africans
aspire to complete. Noakes's book covered all the bases for preparing for an
ultra. Had I only studied the details of his writings, I would be writing this
article from an entirely different perspective.
Another source of valuable information was a book of
training logs written by Bruce Fordyce, ultra legend and nine-time Comrades
victor. A quick review of his monthly mileage revealed that I was consistently
above the training distances he put in before his record-setting downhill run. I
was feeling confident.
