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[pct-l] Marathons in the Wilderness



<<< ... however I suspect, since the last time I ran a Marathon,
there was a "huge" infrastructure of way stations, bystanders,
aid stations, water stations, etc etc; that the marathon itself may
be classified under a "special use function" and need a separate
permit. >>>

I have several comments to offer on this subject:

1) Trail running events are not only marathon distance... ultra-marathon running is defined by distances longer than marathon (or 26.2 mi).... common utlra distances are 50Km, 50mi, 100Km, and 100mi.

   There are, of course, shorter trail events: for ex: 10Km, 20km, 25km,  30km. 

2) Typically the trail marathon/ultra-marathon events are not as large as the road-marathon counterpart.   There are fewer runners (often number of runners permitted to register is limited by race director to ensure trails are not over-used, and volunteers working at race can adequately support the runners).

3) In road marathons, it is common to have an aid station every mile or every other mile. This is not the case with trail events..... trail runners are expected to carry water bottles in order to stay adequately hydrated between aidstations.

4) By-standers... there tend to be  very few by-standers along the course of many trail race events. (compared to the number of by-standers that can atttend a road-marathon event).

5) Trail running is a combination of  hiking and road running...  and most people who are attracted to the sport are so because they enjoy and appreciate the trails... i.e. being able to run through a natural setting versus on streets through a city/unnatural setting.  

6) To register for some races, there is a requirement that the person first spend a specified number of hours volunteering to maintain/improve the trails.

7) Most trail races have specific requirements about not littering the course and there typically is a clean-up of trail that follows the day after the race.

 



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