The UltraRunning Race Series records the race results of every ultrarunner in North America and calculates points for each one based on all relevant factors. It adds up every ultrarunner’s best scores at each of the primary ultra distances – 50k, 50-mile, 100k and 100-mile – and voila, that’s your score. All North American ultrarunners have a score for this year. To do well, you pretty much have to run all four distances at least once in the year, in itself no easy feat.
The Series’ Overall ranking has the top men and women earning automatic and paid-for entries into Western States 100 this year. The Series also tabulates rankings for seven age group categories and both genders in nine different North American regions – making for 126 contests. The Series hopes to encourage fun and friendly competition between ultrarunners and provide another way to measure and motivate participants in the sport.
The URS wraps up later this month, with the 126 Regional Age Group winners and another 252 ultrarunners on the “podium” in each category receiving recognition and URS prize packages.
The top-10 Overall rankings as of March 10, as well as all of the top Regional Age Group leaders, is on page 35. You can go to urraceseries.com to see your most updated ranking in the standings. Maybe you have some nice swag coming your way?
April, for ultrarunners, is like spring training. Sure, there are some hotly contested early season races, but they are shorter preludes to the big-time 100ks and 100-milers coming down the pike in summer and fall (only an ultrarunner can say that racing 31 or 50 miles is short). This issue’s theme is preparing for heat – something that often surprises runners, to their peril. Recent research indicates that heat training improves performance even in “not hot” races – so get into that sauna or pull on a f leece as you hit the trail at high noon on a warm day.
Also in this issue, don’t miss our reviews of water purification solutions and endurance fuel drink mixes – two great resources for beating the heat.
May your every run be a great one!
