Love it, you won’t regret your decision. Your crew is vital for navigation, support , nutrition and so much more.

The Ultraman family is special and very close knit.

If you have done an IM before or some ultra distance running, you wouldn’t need to wait till 2026 to do one, you are probably ready. The time required for training per week is not much different

Echo the “you won’t regret it” sentiment. It remains a highlight of my time in triathlon.

My suggestion is to focus less of the type of course being easy or hard and focus more on the location. Don’t underestimate the logistics required for your support crew. You need to choose a race that you and your crew can get to easily, even better if your crew is familiar with the course.

Agree that you are likely ready to enter if you’ve got an Ironman under your belt, but be prepared for longer training blocks, especially back to back long days. The bonus though is that you won’t need to do any brick sessions! Nutrition will also be a big focus. You might be able to get away with sub optimal nutrition in a single Ironman day, but that won’t cut it over three days. You need to dial in the food you can tolerate during all three disciplines and practice it every long session you do.

Feel free to ask any questions - there are plenty of us around that will be happy to rabbit on about Ultraman for hours on end.

Ultraman is a great community. There are so many people willing to help you. All of the courses have their own unique challenges. It’s a tough distance, no matter the course, so just pick the one that appeals to you the most. Some of the races are now offering relays and they will take volunteers for crew support if you wanted to get acquainted with Ultraman scene first.

Feel free to message if you have more questions.

I’ll also add that at least 50-75% of the athletes are first timers at these races (except the world champs)

I echo the suggestion to become a crew member for an athlete, even better at the event that you are targeting for your first effort. It's super helpful to get to know the course and conditions you can expect when you do it, plus see what works and doesn't work for the athlete you're crewing for so that you can apply those lessons in your own race planning. Plus, crewing is fun and rewarding!

Ian

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Yep,I learned everything I would ever need to know about crewing/racing Ultraman when I crewed for Tom Price at UMC back in 1993.

I did a blog post a while back on some things to consider https://robgray.org/ready-for-ultraman/
As others have said, crewing will give you a REAL idea of what is involved and how it all works. UM Florida and UM Arizona are coming up in Feb and March, I would volunteer now for one of these, great opportunity to check it all out!

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Are you ready to do an Ultraman? | How I calculate Ironman race fueling | Strength Training for Athletes |

Some legends of the sport have already commented, but from the back of the pack, I will agree with their points. Volunteer/crew to get the feel first. My first one, my wife, teammate, and I had absolutely no clue what we were getting into. They got me to the finish (barely!), but having an ounce of experience with the race beforehand would have helped immensely.

But I will warn you, it can become addictive. I haven't missed a UMFL other than the first year, been to UMWC since 2018, and the wife has crewed for 2 different winners of UMAZ Crewing/volunteering at these events has become the highlight of my year and where most of my vacation time goes!
(as I'm packing for UMFL, to crew for a foreign athlete I've never met!)

i have my first 9hr run/walk/crawl RACE in a few months. was thinking of walk 1 loop run 1 loop, (2mile loop) type of strategy. anyone have experiences ideas that may work better/ thanks

I'll add my voice to the chorus advocating crewing beforehand, though if you don't have that opportunity, crewing and/or running ultra marathons may well prove a suitable substitute. Most of the basic principles apply in events of comparable duration.

One thing jumped out to me Irongirl's quality post:


I've always been advocate of brick sessions and would certainly recommend maintaining them in your ultraman training. Although the run is the following day, you're still going to want to be comfortable running a long way on depleted legs. I've never been one to miss the opportunity to run on tired legs, no matter how far my long rides.

The answer may be walk the whole way, or it may be not walk at all.

The most appropriate strategy for you will depend on your fitness, training and experience, and also on the course elevation and terrain.

A 2:40 marathoner, who has been running 100 miles/week for a decade will approach it vastly differently from someone who took up running last year, runs 25 miles a week and whose longest run is their half marathon PR of 2:15.

If you reply with your background and training, and some info on the race, I'm happy to provide some advice.

fair point.

last year i did my first 60k with an avg mile of 10:15. completed two full IM's last year, MOP.

starting Jan 1st i run 3-5 miles M- Friday and Sat are longer runs of 10 - 30 miles. tmrw is 20. next sat 25, working my way up to 40. Race -> (https://rooseveltforestultras.com/forgotten-forest)

Totally agree
Irongirls post is completely wrong , as you must be ready to ride 4-6hrs after the 10k swim which will take anywhere from 2.5 to 5hrs
Only way to be ready for that is to do swim to bike bricks after your loooong swim and do it often
Just like IM but even more so your success will depend on your mental toughness and nutrition
But the cut offs are very very generous, even more so than a IM so if you can finish a IM then a UM is even esier as long as you can get the training in
Also just like IM a UM is very doable for pretty much anyone , but “racing “a UM (or IM) is a totally different to just finishing
Finishing is very very easy , racing is hard

Britri1984 wrote:

i have my first 9hr run/walk/crawl RACE in a few months. was thinking of walk 1 loop run 1 loop, (2mile loop) type of strategy. anyone have experiences ideas that may work better/ thanks

9 hours is a long time to run, physically and mentally, so I'd definitely recommend incorporating some walking in your race plan.

A "walk early, walk often" will increase the amount, speed and efficiency of your running later in the event.

Employ your run/walk strategy from the first lap. Concentrate on conserving your energy for late in the race. See it as an investment in the final third. In almost any ultra, the final third is where the most significant time gains and losses occur. If you can hit the 6 hour mark feeling strong and confident of running the remaining hours well, you're going to pick up plenty of places and have a rewarding run.

A plan of "running 2 miles/walking 2 miles" is giving away too much time. You'd be likely to find yourself running for a little more than 3 hours of the event and walking nearly 6 hours .

I think a 5:1 ratio of running to walking would be closer to your sweet spot, so a total of about 500 to 600 metres per lap.

It's optimal to allocate your walking sections strategically. These are the sections I'd plan on walking:

• On each of the uphills. Although they appear neither too long or too steep on this course, that's where there will be the smallest differential between your running and walking paces and the greatest differential in running and walking energy expenditure. Choose a spot at the bottom of the hill where you will commence your walk (eg. a tree) and another on the top of the hill where you recommence running. Repeat every lap and walk with purpose and efficiency.

• Out of the aid station. While walking, concentrate on your eating and drinking. Other tasks such as applying lube, changing shirt, etc can also be done while you're on the move.

• On pizza lap at noon! You're 5 hours in and if you are able to have a decent feed now, it can really set you up well for that final third. Reward yourself with perhaps a mile of walking to eat something substantial and for your stomach to settle before you recommence running. Use this period to reset mentally.

I notice your 60km was in 2018 and you ran a 50km a couple of years ago. Along with IM, it appears you're starting to accumulate a few miles in your legs over a number of years. They all count in your favour. :-)