Despite its fast rise from a quirky pastime to budding professional sport, ultrarunning is anything but new; people have been running (or walking) long distances competitively for centuries. Fueled by beer, and usually motivated by a wager or two, these early pioneers helped establish a long tradition of human-powered endurance that persists today. To learn more about exactly how, we sat down with ultrarunning historian, Davy Crockett, to trace the development of the 100-mile foot race through time, from its roots in the UK to its modern incarnation in the US. Along the way, we also bust some myths about the Western States 100, chat about race nutrition in the 1800s, and debate the greatest ultrarunner of all time.
TOPICS & TIMES:
- Davy’s background (1:36)
- Falling in love with the 100-mile distance (6:58)
- Recovery strategies (10:53)
- How the sport has changed in the last 20 years (12:37)
- Ultrarunning History Podcast (15:29)
- “Where did ultrarunning actually start?” (20:28)
- Tracing the sport through the 19th century (28:16)
- 1800s gear talk (34:39)
- Whiskey, drugs, and gambling (36:28)
- The first 100-mile mountain race (39:05)
- The Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (41:20)
- How to get into the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame (44:52)
- G.O.A.T. debate (46:51)
- “Stranger Things” (53:15)
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