Share
How to Start Ultrarunning
Lessons From 30 Years on the Trail
If you can run a marathon, you can absolutely run an ultramarathon.
That does not mean it will be easy. It does not mean it will always be pretty. It definitely does not mean it will go exactly according to plan. But it does mean you are already a lot closer than you think.
I have spent more than 30 years on the trail, finished more than 100 ultras, coached runners into their first ultra finishes, and made just about every mistake a person can make in this sport. I have bonked, gotten lost, dealt with severe weather, battled dehydration, missed turns, slid down mountains, questioned my life choices at aid stations, and somehow kept coming back for more.
That is the funny thing about ultrarunning. It hurts, it humbles you, it teaches you, and if it really gets into your system, it changes the way you look at challenge, nature, community, and yourself.
I wrote my book I Can Run a Marathon, Now What? Trail Running and Your First Ultra to help runners make that jump from road to trail and from marathon to ultramarathon with more confidence, more skill, and fewer preventable mistakes.
This article is the personal side of that message.
If you are thinking about running your first ultra, here is what I want you to know.
My First Ultra Came Before My First Marathon
A lot of runners move from 5K to half marathon to marathon to ultra. I did not exactly follow that clean little staircase.
Back in the late 1990s, my first ultra was Dances With Dirt 50K in Hell, Michigan.
Yes. Hell.
I ran an ultra before I ever ran a marathon.
My second 50K was Ed’s 50K. It was cold, it rained, it was miserable, and almost everyone quit. I kept going and ended up winning because I was the last one still out there.
That sounds impressive until I tell you the truth.
I had very little experience and everything went wrong.
Nutrition was off.
Hydration was off.
Gear was wrong.
I was learning in real time, the hard way, which is a very common ultrarunner origin story.
What hooked me was not some perfect race.
It was the trails and the people.
Even when I did not know what I was doing, I knew I wanted more of that world.
What Makes Ultrarunning Different From Marathoning
One of the clearest ideas in my book is this.
Road running teaches you how to move forward. Trail running teaches you how to adapt.
That is the big shift.
In a marathon, success is usually measured by pace and time.
In an ultra, success is measured by execution.
Can you manage effort?
Can you fuel early?
Can you stay calm when things start going sideways?
Can you handle hills, weather, terrain, and uncertainty without mentally falling apart?
Ultras are long enough that something usually goes wrong.
Sometimes several things go wrong.
That is not bad luck.
That is part of the deal.
The runners who do well are not always the fastest runners.
They are often the best problem solvers.
The Biggest Mistake Marathoners Make When Moving To Ultras
This one is easy.
The biggest mistake marathon runners make when moving to ultramarathons is refusing to walk.
That is the ego trap.
That is the marathon mindset hanging around too long.
In road marathoning, walking often feels like failure.
In ultrarunning, especially on trails, power hiking is strategy.
It is energy management.
It is pacing discipline.
It is maturity.
If you try to run every climb just because your ego does not want to hike, you are probably borrowing energy from your future self.
And your future self is going to be very annoyed somewhere around mile 22, or 32, or 47.
Walking is not weakness in an ultra.
Walking is often what allows you to keep racing later.
Most Runners Think Ultras Are About Legs
Most runners think ultrarunning is about legs.
But it is actually about stomachs.
People love to talk about grit, toughness, vert, mileage, and pain tolerance.
Your legs matter.
But if your fueling falls apart, your race usually falls apart right behind it.
I have bonked badly more times than I would like to admit.
Two of the worst examples were at Habanero 100K in Texas, a race I have finished twice.
Both years after my ninth lap I was wrecked.
Dehydration.
The shakes.
Total system failure.
Both years I took a short nap, reset, and managed to finish.
The second year I also wore the wrong shirt for a loop and ended up with brutal chafing.
Ultrarunning is not glamorous.
Sometimes the difference between finishing and dropping is something small like:
A dry shirt
A fresh hat
Or a random snack from an aid station
Sometimes a Twinkie can go a long way for your mental state.
My Aid Station Mindset
When things go bad, I go aid station to aid station.
I do not think about the entire race.
I think about the next checkpoint.
Get there.
Reassess.
Solve the next problem.
I also remind myself of something simple.
I have been here before.
Experience matters.
When you have been in enough hard situations, you know that feeling terrible at one point in a race does not mean the race is over.
It means you need to respond correctly.
I have also battled severe edema in my hands and spent plenty of miles walking with my hand over my head.
Ultrarunning is glamorous.
Positive self talk helps.
Running with someone else helps.
Volunteers help more than people realize.
Volunteers do not get enough credit.
If you race, thank them.
Better yet, volunteer yourself.
I learned a lot volunteering at races in Texas with the Dallas Dirt Runners, and those experiences deepened my appreciation for the sport.
The Most Scared I Have Ever Been In A Race
I have run in severe storms.
Flood waters.
Snow.
Hail.
But the most scared I have ever been was at Barkley Fall Classic.
I attempted it in 2023 and 2024 and did not finish either time.
The first year it rained before the Rat Jaw climb.
I ended up sliding nearly 150 feet down the mountain before stopping myself in briars.
The runner behind me asked if I was still alive.
At the time it was terrifying.
Now it is a story I laugh about.
Of course I went back the next year to battle the course again.
If you do not have some DNFs on the books, you are probably not pushing your limits.
What New Ultrarunners Are Afraid Of
Many marathon runners considering ultras share the same fears.
Getting lost.
Tripping.
Getting hurt.
Animal encounters.
Here is the truth.
Some of those things will happen.
You might trip.
You might miss a turn.
You might backtrack.
I have done all of the above.
The key is preparation.
You learn to be self sufficient.
You learn not to let small problems derail the entire race.
A Case Study That Means More Than Any Finish Line
One of the most meaningful stories for me involves my daughter.
She ran her first trail marathon with me at 16.
Later we ran a tough 50K at JJ Ranch, where we walked the second loop together, she cramped up after we stopped in between loops.
She has dealt with stress injuries, blisters, ankle problems but kept pushing forward.
She has since completed some of the toughest races in the sport including Moab 240, where she finished 7th female, and she is now running a 300 mile race.
Watching that progression has been incredible.
It proves that resilience matters.
What 100 Ultras Have Taught Me
After decades on the trail, these are the biggest lessons.
Keep easy days easy
Fuel before you feel desperate
Never try anything new on race day
Solve the next problem, not the whole race
Respect the trail
Thank volunteers
Why I Still Run Ultras
Even after all these years, the reason I keep running ultras is simple.
The trails show you things most people never see.
I remember running Laurel Highlands 70 Mile in 2001 and watching clouds settle over the river with the sunrise behind them.
It looked like you could walk across the clouds.
Moments like that stay with you forever.
Final Advice For Your First Ultra
If you remember one rule, remember this.
Do not do anything on race day that you did not practice first in training.
Your first ultra does not need to be heroic.
It needs to be smart.
Start controlled.
Hike when it makes sense.
Fuel early.
Stay calm.
And if things get ugly, just get to the next aid station.
Then figure it out from there.
Ready To Start Your Ultra Journey?
If you are ready to move from marathon to trail running and your first ultramarathon, email me Scott@totalrunningandconditioning.com or https://teamrunrun.com/coach/scott-millman-detroit-running-coach/
If you want a guide to help you make the jump with confidence, check out my book
I Can Run a Marathon, Now What? Trail Running and Your First Ultra
Your first ultra might be the beginning of an entirely new running adventure.