

This can have some serious implications for your training in terms of attitude, planning, and performance. Because terrain can vary wildly in terms of elevation and technicality, an eight-minute mile effort on the road might net you 15 minutes for one mile of trail, or seven minutes if you’ve got a big descent. This isn’t always the case when it comes to trails. If you’ve trained for a road marathon or other distance before, you know that a big part of planning your runs and measuring your performance has to do with pacing. Courses may be point-to-point, loops, or multiple laps of the same loop.Ultramarathons can be self-supported, or may include aid-stations, crews, and volunteers.

Courses can feature singletrack, dirt roads, pavement, or a combination of all three.

