Ultramarathon Research
Experiment based research and science summaries on ultramarathons, ultra runners and endurance athletics.
Most training advice is inherited. Someone's coach said it, their athletes repeated it, and it became true by repetition rather than by evidence. This is where we go and read the papers instead.
Fueling, adherence, heat, and who is actually turning up to these races. For each one: what the study found, what it did not find, and what it changes on Saturday morning. Where the evidence runs out we say so, because "we do not know yet" is a more useful answer than a confident one that is wrong.
How Much Should You Actually Be Running for a 50K?
You have run a marathon and assume a 50K needs far more. The finisher data says otherwise. What the research shows about weekly volume, and the long-run rule that beats the ten percent rule.
Carbon Plates Come to Trail Shoes With Mixed Reviews
Carbon-plated trail shoes have finally arrived, and the ultra running world is grappling with what they mean for performance, fairness, and the soul of the sport. From record-breaking times to heated debates about technological doping, we'll see how this introduction impacts 2026 course records.
Why Habit Stacking Will Get You to Your Spring Race Finish Line (When New Year's Resolutions Won't)
New Year's Resolutions run on motivation, which is gone by February. Habits run on cues, which are not. The research, the phase-by-phase stacks for a full race build, and a four-week ramp to start one.
The Rise of Women in Ultra Running: Two Decades of Improving Gender Parity
1.1 million race records over two decades. Women now outnumber men at 5km, the ratio has narrowed at every distance, and the ultra gap is the last one standing.
Why Gatorade Is Sabotaging Your Ultramarathon: The Simple Carb Problem
You have picked a number of grams per hour. Now what goes in the bottle? Why the sports drink is the worst of your options, what to carry instead, and how to separate your hydration from your calories.
The Carbohydrate Revolution in Ultramarathon Nutrition: What Recent Research Reveals
Elite ultra runners are sustaining 60 to 120 grams of carbohydrate an hour, well past the guidance most of us were given. What the research actually shows, why the ceiling moved, and how to train a gut that can handle it.