Who is an Ultra Runner?

I was working on my blog the other day when I read my profile blurb and it got me thinking....   The blurb states, "My name is Nicholas B. Lee. I'm an I.T. Manager, husband, graduate student of Sociology, and wanna-be ultra-marathoner...".  I wrote it when I first created the blog far before I had ever run an ultra marathon.  It made me think, when can someone officially consider themselves and "ultra runner"?  When can I remove the "wanna-be" from that sentence?

An ultra marathon is defined (by Wikipedia) as "...any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometers (26.2188 mi)."  That definition seems pretty agreed upon in the running community.  But what qualifies someone as an "ultra runner"?  Is running one ultra marathon enough?  Can a life-long marathoner extend themselves one time, complete a 50K, and consider themselves and ultra runner?  Is running a 50K even enough?  Does one have to run a 50 miler, or even a 100 miler?  Am I an ultra runner?

Over the past year I ran two 50K races--The Moab Red Hot 50K and The Sage Burner 50K (both were dismal performances)--and I attempted the Leadville 100 (DNF at mile 53).  I ran some other trail races but we're talking "ultras" here.  I was recently listed on the Twitter list "Ultra Runners"  so at least one person out there considers me to be an ultra runner--that's reassuring I guess.  Do I consider myself an "ultra runner"?  Not really.  When people ask me about my running I never say "I'm an ultra runner" or "I'm an ultra marathoner".  It usually comes up when they ask the question "What distance do you run?".  I answer "I run ultra marathons" (although the term "run" is used very loosely here as anyone who's seen my finishing times will attest).  And, I do run shorter races as well (equally as slow).

So who is an ultra runner? The more I thought about this, I came up with two definitions.  The first definition is more concrete and specifically revolves around the distance of 26.2 miles.  Traditional marathon training usually never takes the competitor equal to or over the distance of 26.2.  However, ultra runners regularly run farther than 26.2 miles during training runs.  I think that if your training regimen frequently involves runs over 26.2 miles, with the goal of completing races with a distance greater than a marathon, then you can consider yourself an ultra runner.  The second definition is a little more abstract and harder to describe.  I think that ultra running is a lifestyle.  I don't think that training for, and running, one ultra marathon is enough to qualify one's self as an ultra marathoner.  The person that trains for one marathon, never to run one again, has run a marathon but is not a "marathoner".  Ryan Hall is a marathoner.  A person that trains for and runs one ultra marathon, never to run one again, is not an ultra runner.  Anton Krupicka, Geoff Roes, Scott Jurek...those are ultra runners (presented in no particular order and obviously not even close to an exhaustive list).  I think that in order to qualify, hands down, as an ultra runner, one's life must perpetually involve training for, and competing in, ultra marathons.

So am I an ultra runner?  I suppose according to both definition I've established for myself that I am an ultra runner.  However, due to my limited race experience and absolutely terrible performances in every race I've attempted, I'm still a little hesitant to describe myself in such a way.  (Conversely, if I had finished Leadville I would eagerly introduce myself, even to those that didn't ask, as an ultra runner...next year...)

I am, however, satisfied enough with my training and running over the past year to remove the "wanna-be" from my profile blurb.  If you look for it, it's not there--I've deleted it with pride.

With winter fast approaching here in Colorado, the days of warm runs at high elevation are coming to an end.  Rather than slacking with my running this winter (like I've done in years past), I'm using this "off season" to build my strength and stamina with the hopes of laying down much more satisfying times next year....and solidifying, for no one other than myself, my own identity as an "ultra runner".