It begins with a vision. A vision that lies deep within all of us, regardless of our background, or natural ability. One of the inherent beauties of ultra-distance running is that regardless of whether you are a mid-pack runner, back-of-pack or even pro, we all experience many of the same feelings: triumph, failure, doubt, times when we feel like we’re floating, and others where the struggle is to simply move forward and not give up. The pain of running ultras is universal.

In the faces of these everyday runners, we can see ourselves. The range of emotions that come from committing to and executing big goals, watching how they morph from a vision in our mind imagined while lying in bed to a painful, euphoric, heartbreaking, fulfilling reality is common to every athlete. The thrill of overcoming our own and others’ doubts is a high unlike any other.

Through these shared core experiences, we celebrate the runners that fuel the fire at the heart of our sport.