Check what you are capable of! 5 extreme marathons from around the world

Any runner will say that participating in a marathon is a great chance to assay your strength. However, there is another level that sometimes verges on insanity. A distance of hundreds of kilometers across country, under the boiling sun or in the pouring rain is not just a sporting event, but an attempt to find the saturation point of the human body’s capabilities. The editorial team of Joy-pup.com has prepared a list of the hardest ultramarathons in the world, the victory in which comes at a price.

6693 Ultra

One of the most northern ultramarathons in the world started in 2007. The extreme distance of 560 km runs from the Yukon to the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Over the past 12 years, only 37 athletes were able to cross the finish line. It is challenging not only to survive in severe weather conditions. Participants have to drag special carts loaded with food and equipment. Stopover points, where athletes can warm up and take a break, are located at a distance of 42 km from each other, so most of the time the runners are at their own mercy. They mustn’t accept help from outside.

Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race

Since 1997, from mid-July to early August, an unusual ultramarathon has taken place in New York. The distance of 4988 km, which is almost equal to the distance from Kiev to the capital of India, New Delhi, must be covered by the participants in less than 51 days. This race differs greatly from others because it takes place not in the scenic countryside of America, but within the city. Every day, from 6 am to midnight, athletes run around one of the schools. To win, they need to “reel” 5649 circles. By the way, from 2013 to 2016, one of the three winners in the ultramarathon was a Ukrainian, Yuri Trostenyuk.

Marathon des Sables

Hundreds of runners gather in Morocco in April to take part in the “sand marathon”. Extreme athletes need to cover 251 km under the scorching sun of the Sahara in 6 days. Event planners provide athletes with water only. They have to carry the food on their own.

The Jungle Ultra

The hardest mountain 230 km race serious test of strength even for a trained athlete. One thing is that the runners of the ultramarathon have to carry backpacks with provisions and supplies. Another thing is that numerous dangerous inhabitants of the Peruvian jungle (wild animals, poisonous snakes and insects) are lurking in wait everywhere. The terrain where the race takes place is wild, completely bereft of infrastructure, and in order to reach the finish line, marathon runners will have to wade through at least 70 rivers.

Tor des Géants

The daredevils who venture taking part in the Tour of the Giants ultramarathon are expected to cover 300-kilometer distance through 25 mountain saddles in the Italian Alps having only 150 hours allowed time. The muscle loading is so big that even trained and experienced marathon runners often can’t stand it and go off the track. There were cases when exhausted runners began to hallucinate, and a Chinese athlete, Yang Yuan, even died because he lost footing and hit his head on a stone.