Ultramarathons gaining in popularity, competitors

Jamie Frink fell in love two years ago on a trail in Lone Pine. Chad Long took the plunge that same spring in Cool. And Patrick DellaPace found similar joy last year on a challenging ascent to Auburn.

The object of their affection? Ultrarunning, which lures people from the road racing world with the promise of testing their physical limits, savoring nature's beauty and sharing in a laid-back culture that emphasizes camaraderie over competition.

The sport's popularity keeps growing. Ultramarathons – any event longer than a marathon – have filled up faster and faster in the past several years as newcomers join veterans on the trails in search of physical, emotional and spiritual payoffs.

Check out the Way Too Cool 50K, a 31-mile trail run that serves as a popular portal into the ultra world. The race filled its 450-runner field in three days in 2002, three hours in 2003, 30 minutes in 2004, 15 minutes in 2005, 18 minutes in 2006, 7 minutes, 33 seconds in 2007 and 11 minutes, 18 seconds in 2008.

Registration for the Miwok 100K Trail Race, held Saturday, filled in about 10 minutes in January. The Western States Endurance Run, the storied 100-mile race from Squaw Valley to Auburn set for June 28-29, hit a record 1,350 entries, meaning there were a lot of disappointed people in December when the annual lottery was held to fill the field of less than 400.

Why the surge in ultra interest? Greg Soderlund, the race director for the Western States, American River 50-Mile Endurance Run and Way Too Cool, said Dean Karnazes' 2005 book, "Ultramarathon Man," and television coverage have boosted the sport.

"More and more people are discovering the trail," Soderlund said. "What's feeding this is the marathons. … They come into the marathons, they're not there for long. They're looking for another adventure.

"We're in a second running boom."

John Medinger, the publisher of UltraRunning Magazine, said specific reasons for the increased popularity of longer races are elusive.

"It's one thing to read a book, it's another to go out and run 50 miles," he said. "(Karnazes) might have inspired some people to give it a go.

"I've always thought it was a great sport. Obviously, it's not for everyone."

Folsom's Frink,35, said she knew ultrarunning was for her when she camped out at the starting line of the Wild Wild West 50K in Lone Pine and then savored "an awesome course."

"I got hooked," said Frink, who is married and has a 6-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.

"It was a blast … I fell in love."

Frink grew up at Lake Tahoe, so the outdoors are nothing new to her. The challenge of pushing herself beyond the limit, the beauty of the trail and the friendliness of the ultra community create an irresistible appeal.

"It's kind of interesting to me to see just how far you can go," she said. "I love being in the mountains and on the trails. … It's a little more fun that just being on the pavement.

"The people involved in the sport, it's just amazing. … Everybody is so helpful and so supportive."

Frink wasn't chosen in the Western States lottery but got into the race for the first time when the Buffalo Chips Running Club awarded her its entry from an aid station allotment.

"It's so exciting," she said.

Long, 35, was selected in the Western States lottery, putting an exclamation point on his ultrarunning, which began in the Way Too Cool race two years ago.

"I really liked it," he said. "I did (the California International Marathon) a few months before that. I felt much better after the ultra."

For Long, a business planner who lives in Foresthill, the lure of the trail is powerful.

"You can see a lot more when you're running on trails," he said. "No cars."

And great people.

"I've met a lot of friends on the trail who would do anything for you out there," said Long, who is married and has a 1 1/2-year-old daughter.

"If you hurt yourself, they would stop their race to help you."

Long knows how to lend a hand, too. When Orangevale's Daniel Howard Rose became temporarily lost on the Western States Trail above Foresthill last month, Long said he was one of several ultrarunners who spent the night looking for the missing man.

Sometimes the ultra call changes everything. DellaPace, 24, said the laid-back culture he discovered while training for the AR 50 prompted him to move from the Miami, Fla., area to Sacramento two months after the race.

"I just fell in love with the sport doing that," he said. "(The culture) is one thing that kind of influenced me."

DellaPace, a customer service representative for a running shoe store, said he also was attracted to the challenge of ultras.

"I was wondering, What is there beyond a marathon?" he said. "You get to be out in the wilderness. … It's a real spiritual experience."

DellaPace said he'll never forget the day he finished the Woodside 50K last December and someone showed him the results of the Western States lottery: He was in.

"It was an incredible moment," he said. "It was a dream come true."

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