Time was a marathon was considered the pinnacle of long distance running exploits. Not so any more. Without taking anything away from the legendary 26.2 mile race, these days the most elite distance athletes set their eyes on even more extreme challenges: ultra marathons. Around the world, race tournaments are vying with each other to come up with the latest version of extreme. Fancy running 250km through the Moroccan desert? The Marathon de Sables is for you. How about 200 miles in a darkened tunnel doing one mile shuttles over two days in Bath, Somerset? The Tunnel Ultra is for you. Or if you really want to push yourself to the limit, train for the Barkley Marathon, which takes place annually in hardscrabble Tennessee backcountry – often dubbed the toughest race in the world, only 20 runners have ever completed it in its nearly 30 year tenure. Why do people do it? People have written books about it – with everything from transcendent experiences to overcoming chronic illness and mental health challenges to the sheer challenge of the thing. We’re not sure how many of our Members are ultra runners – but we’d venture at least a few. If you are, or if you fancy becoming one, why not test your mettle at the upcoming Vietnam Ultra Marathon, which takes place on 08 March in the lactic-acid building hills of Mai Chu, Vietnam near Hanoi. And when you’re done – head down to Hoi An for some R&R at one of our resorts!
