Today Jamie Laing finished the final day of his five-day “ultra marathon man” challenge for Comic Relief. The Radio 1 presenter and podcaster undertook a huge athletic feat to raise money for the charity, running a total of 150 miles around the UK over five days.
Laing’s final finish line was in Salford, where he completed the challenge today. Starting in London’s Hyde Park, the presenter ran the length of the UK this week, and BBC Radio 1 documented every step of the journey.
So far, Laing has raised £2,007,114 for Comic Relief, spurred on by donations and heartfelt messages of encouragement. He says at times he found it hard to accept the love that was pouring in and grew emotional over the tributes and kind words. He’s described finishing the challenge as “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.”
“The big thing for me was just talking about your mental health. And it sounds so cliche but what is more important and more powerful is saying ‘I have anxiety’, ‘I have OCD’, ‘I have depression’, ‘I have insomnia’, whatever it is. I've never really been honest about it. I have suffered, and I do suffer, and that's OK,” Laing told the BBC at the finish line.
“It's way braver to talk about it than not talk about it. This week has made me realise that talking about things is the coolest thing in the world. Being vulnerable is the greatest thing in the world. Sing it from a rooftop. Because that makes you brave and hiding it makes you weak. So don't hide it.”
A huge undertaking, just one ultra-marathon is a feat of athletic endurance so five in five days is a challenge that would break a seasoned long-distance runner. So how hard is it to complete one ultra marathon and what’s the difference between a regular marathon and an ultra?
What is an ultramarathon?
An ultra-marathon is classified as a long-distance footrace that is longer than a normal marathon (26.2 miles or 42.195km). This means if you’re training for a marathon, it’s likely you could take on an ultra.
However, numbers matter. There are various types of ultra marathons and long-distance runners typically run for either 31 miles (50km), 50 miles, 62 miles (100km), or 100 miles. Some professional ultra marathons take days to complete with athletes stopping to sleep and eat.
The shortest common ultramarathon is 31 miles (50 km) and the longest is up to 3100 miles. Typically the longest races with a competitive finish time under 24 hours are 100 miles (160 km).
An ultra marathon takes a long time to complete and it’s essential to pace yourself. Record-breaking ultra runner Kilian Jornet explains that it’s a question of balance. He says some races take days to complete and resting and refuelling is as big a part of the journey as the running or walking.
Over the course of five days, Laing has racked up 150 miles, which, for someone who isn’t a professional runner is a huge physical undertaking. He’s taken pit stop breaks during his challenge to fuel up for the long-distance stretches and to check in with a physio and other health professionals. As a beginner, this is an essential aspect of finishing the ultra safely, but even for seasoned athletes, these stops are vital for safety.
In official ultra-marathon events, there is also usually no risk of being timed out but with this specific challenge, there’s a five-day limit on the race. Of course, it’s essential to move at a comfortable pace to avoid injury, which makes what Laing has achieved for charity all the more impressive.
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