Saturday, April 26, 2014

Do the Math

Some numbers: 83.3. The distance in kilometers of next month’s Transvulcania Ultramarathon, roughly the length of two marathons. 8,525. The accumulated ascent and descent in meters over the race course,  equivalent to climbing up and down the Empire State building 11 times. 90. The approximate temperature in Fahrenheit along the caldera at last year’s race. 1801. The number of competitors who this year will attempt to complete the ultramarathon (or its marathon and half-marathon variants). The “1” is me.



The Transvulcania Ultramarathon, set for May 10 on La Palma in the Canary Islands, is part of the Skyrunner Ultra Series, a group of five extreme long distance races held in some of the most beautiful and challenging sites in Europe and the United States. Participation in Transvulcania has grown each year since its launch in 2009. This year’s field is not only the biggest to date, it includes many of the world’s top ultra runners.