Ultra Marathons Might Be Better Value

25 Oct 2024 at 18:10 // under Running

I once declared I wouldn't do many ultra marathons due to their cost - both in time and money. The time commitment is significant: not only does the race itself consume an entire day, but the lengthy recovery period afterward presents an even bigger challenge.

However, the financial aspect tells an interesting story. Take the Glasgow to Edinburgh ultra, which has a £100 entry fee. The week before, I ran the Linlithgow 10K for about £25. So ultras are more expensive.

But thinking about it, while the ultra costs four times as much to enter, you're covering nine times the distance. The value proposition becomes even more compelling when you consider "cost per minute of event": I completed the 10K in 40 minutes, while the ultra took me nearly 9 hours (and I was among the faster runners - some participants were out there for 15 hours). When viewed through this lens, ultra marathons offer remarkable value for money!

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