2012

Existing Discontinued

Figure 1. Existing and discontinued 100-mile ultramarathons in North America as of 2012.

100

Number

80 60 40 20

Year

20 10

20 05

20 00

19 95

19 90

19 85

19 80

0 19 75

Figure 2. Trend in number of 100-mile ultramarathons in North America.

All WSER related

18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2

20 10

20 05

20 00

19 95

19 90

19 85

19 80

19 75

0

19 70

Scientific publications (number)

20

Year Figure 3. Trend in scientific publishing of work related to ultramarathon running as demonstrated from a PubMed search using the terms ultramarathon, ultrarunner, and ultrarunning. Note the relative importance of the WSER during the past several years.

attitude of scientific inquiry at the WSER. This tradition, along with the general interest among participants in this sport, has enhanced the likelihood of success for a formal research program at the WSER.

The WSER research program includes a research committee that reviews research proposals submitted to the WSER and opportunities for financial support of the research through the WSER Foundation. From 2007 through 2012,

the WSER has provided more than $50,000 of research funding to investigators. In view of the extent and quality of work that has been accomplished from this support, the money has been well invested.

The primary areas of research focus at the WSER have included the following: • immune and oxidative response • characteristics of participants • participation and performance trends • cardiac responses and adaptations •

fluid and nutritional requirements • exercise-associated hyponatremia • rhabdomyolysis • acute kidney injury

© Michael Lebowitz/Long Run Pictures

The WSER has proven to be a particularly good model for the study of responses to severe physiological stress, exercise-associated hyponatremia, rhabdomyolysis, and acute kidney injury. Notably absent from this list are psychological, biome

chanical, and fatigue studies, which I hope to change in the future. This special section of M&B highlights research performed at the WSER in most of the areas listed above. Each topic was part of a symposium titled “The

Western States Endurance Run: Premier Mountain 100 Mile and Ultra Lab,” which we presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine on June 1, 2012. Each of the scientific authors in this series of articles has performed research

at the WSER for several years. As a group, their work accounts for 24 scientific publications related to the WSER between 2007 and 2012 and yet more in various stages of the publication process. These scientists have also presented this work

at numerous scientific meetings and have provided this information to runners in informal lectures and through lay publication in various magazines. Since it is our mission to return the information we’ve learned to those who will benefit, we have

compiled the following series of articles for our running buddies, many of whom have selflessly participated in our studies.

Who Are These Crazy People Running 100 Miles? An analysis. BY MARTIN D. HOFFMAN, MD, FACSM, FAWM

For many not associated with the world of endurance sports, the inclusion of the adjective “crazy” in the title of this article makes perfect sense. But for us, high levels of regular aerobic exercise have become the norm, and it may

seem odd to think of this behavior as being anything but normal, or at least what should be normal. Unfortunately, most of our society is sedentary. Indeed, many people often look at anyone who exercises beyond even the minimum amount

suggested for maintaining health as being crazy. So since we are frequently subject to being referred to as crazy, I include that descriptor in the title with the clarification that even though I may be biased, I don’t think we’re necessarily

crazy just because of our exercise behavior! This article will cover some things we’ve learned about participation trends in ultramarathon running and basic characteristics of the participants. This article will

not shed light on why we choose to run ultramarathons or whether such behavior has any potential adverse effects. Those topics require more exploration and may be answered in the future through the Ultrarunners Longitudinal TRAcking (

ULTRA) Study or other research. The ULTRA Study is a longitudinal study, currently planned for 20 years, that was initiated at the end of 2011.