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Ultra Running Essay

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Running is the purest form of exercise. Its simplicity requires minimal equipment or experience, as the running motion is an innate movement for the human body. More specifically ultra running is beyond the marathon distance of 26.2 miles and incorporates distances of 50, 100, and 200-mile races. While it takes any novice athlete to take part in the simple act of running a few advanced individuals turn running into an art form and expand their expertise to endurance running as seen in ultra marathon competitions. Running is currently applicable to society as the proportion of obese to healthy individuals continues to increase. As a result of the obesity epidemic - health and wellness has hit major media headlines - running in general has transformed into the most popular mode of exercise. The increasing popularity in running has brought more attention to the specific world of ultra running and researchers, health practitioners, and the media have become critics of the how running extreme distances can be detrimental to health. While many argue that ultra running will pose greater health risks for the competing individuals, historically distance running has been a crucial component of human survival and evolution further supporting the development of biomechanical and physiological health benefits. Despite the skepticism, ultra running provides holistic health benefits and does not subject the competing individual to increased health complications or risk of injury.

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