Ultramarathon is an individual sport where participants run any distance longer than 26.2 miles, the most common being 50 or 100 miles. The person with the quickest time of completion is the winner.

An ultramarathon is any sporting event consisting of running any distance longer than a tradition marathon (26 miles). There are two types of ultramarathon events: one covers a specified distance, the other a specified amount of time with the winner being the runner who covers the most distance in that time. The most common distance races are 50 and 100 miles or kilometers; timed races can be as short as six hours or as long as multiday races. There is a World Championship for ultramarathons in various categories organized by the International Association of Ultra Runners, which is sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations, the world governing body of track and field.

The goal of an ultramarathon, depending on the type, is to either complete the race in the shortest amount of time, or cover the longest distance in a given time period.

Rules for ultramarathons vary on the type of event being held whether a distance or timed race.

Running Shoes

For many ultramarathons, aide stations are set up at intervals throughout the course to provide runners with water, food, and medical services.

Running an ultramarathon requires runners to be in peak physical fitness because of the extreme physical demands of the race.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarathon