ULTRA – The World Atlas of Ultramarathons by Jen and Sim Benson is a fantastic, globe-trotting coffee-table guide that is both practical and dream-fuel. The book brings together beautiful photography, handily annotated maps and elevation profiles, race stats and short, sharp histories to introduce readers to the character of each event — from desert stage races to frozen Swedish wilderness expeditions. It’s pitched perfectly at runners who want inspiration for their next running adventure and those who want to lose themselves in an armchair adventure.
One of the things I love about this book is the way small, striking facts bring a race to life. Take Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset: Jen and Sim describe runners threading forest and lakeshore, climbing to Chichee Pass at 2,300 m, and spending the race week living with nomadic hosts in gers — finishers of the 100km collect UTMB qualifying points and the 2024 starter numbers were tiny (at just 58), which underlines how remote, intimate and special some of these events remain. I mean, doesn’t that just make you want to sign up?!
The book shows a great variety of ultramarathons by continent. Standouts for me in the book include:
Africa — Marathon des Sables:
The Sahara’s legendary multi-stage classic, famed for self-sufficiency and brutal heat, often called the prototype desert epic. This race began in 1986 with just 23 runners toeing the line, now (2024 numbers quoted) entries are at just over 1000, for a race route that changes slightly year on year. Those taking part in the MDS Legendary (240 km/150 miles) or the MDS 70, 100 or 120km are self-sufficient during the race stages and the runners must bring and carry all their food for the full duration of the race. In 1994 Mauro Prosperi, a former Olympian from Sicily, hit race headlines when he strayed 299km/186 miles off the route during a sand storm. He was lost for 10 days, being found in Algeria, following a huge search of the desert.
Asia — Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset:
This race is an annual charity run that began in 1999, making it one of Asia’s oldest ultra marathons. Mongolia certainly doesn’t disappoint when it comes to epic and isolated landscapes as you run through the Khovsgol National Park. The route takes in mountain passes to Lake shores with Mongolian Horsemen as marshals and aid station support, I mean, where do I sign up! With two distances now available (100km and 42km) this isn’t just a race but a brilliant opportunity to experience Mongolia’s culture and hospitality. All proceeds for this event are used to fund environmental projects within the Khovsgol National Park, making it sustainable and able to preserve the unique nomadic culture of its population.
Europe — Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB):
The alpine giant that transformed from a few hundred entrants in 2003 to a global ultra-festival and qualification epic of today; The Bensons capture both its drama and the controversies of the race’s rapid rise and expansion. Whether you are a fan or a little more sceptical of the UTMB takeover, it can never be disputed that the locations and festival atmosphere is hard to beat! If you want one headline stat about growth, UTMB is the clearest example: originally those hundred starters in 2003, it mushroomed into a global series and a media spectacle — arguably the ultra running event with the biggest jump in scale and participation since its founding just over 20 years ago.
Arctic — Lapland Arctic Ultra:
This race follows a 10-day non-stop format, covering a whopping 503km (312 miles) with just 19 started in 2024. This sounds more like an epic expedition than a running ultra! Starting in 2022 this is a relatively new addition to Winter ultras, where participants can explore one of Europe’s last remaining wildernesses in the heart of Swedish Lapland. Those that are interested in taking part in this format of racing can take part in a training course beforehand making it a great event for those wanting to push their ultra marathon boundaries. I would draw your attention to Harriet and Karl’s race food for the Lapland Ultra (page 96) highlighting the physical and metabolic demands of an ultra marathon in arctic conditions.
North America — Western States Endurance Run:
The US 100-mile pioneer, and one of the world’s most famous 100 – milers, that selects just 350 runners from around 10,000 lottery entries. First run in 1977 it traces the route taken by the gold and silver miners in the 1850’s by the Washoe and Nisenan Indigenous People. A nearly 800m climb within the first 5 miles really kicks off the route with remote and rugged countryside and variable weather conditions year to year due to the route’s variety. Western States is a world leading race in pushing the sport of ultrarunning in a number of areas including successfully implementing drug testing from 2017 ensuring integrity, and in 2019 introducing a trail Stewardship programme to maintain the Western States trail all year-round.
South America — Atacama Crossing:
Chile’s other-worldly desert stage race, where competitors tackle multi-day challenges in some of the driest terrain on Earth. First held in 2004 this 250km (156 mile) crossing has 6 stages over 7 days covering, officially, the driest place on earth! With an average altitude of 2,500m (8,200m) the air is thin as you cross through the Salar de Atacama, Moon Valley and Valle de la Muerte. The famous Salt Flats give sights of nesting pink flamingos and several volcanoes including the Incan ceremonial centre that is Lincancabur Volcano. With opportunity for elite and recreational runners to take part, you can run and walk the course with finishing times varying from 25 – 70 hours!
Oceania — Tarawera Ultra-Trail:
Lush New Zealand forest trails with runnable single-track and Māori cultural welcomes, this is a Southern Hemisphere classic. I know that my time living out in New Zealand really stoked my fire for trail and ultra running, being lucky enough to run some of these trails. The first race of 85km (53 miles) took place in 2009 inviting a few hundred runners to enjoy the fantastic trails of The Bay of Plenty. In its 15th year it rebranded becoming Tarawera Ultra – Trail UTMB, but still continuing to honour its routes and connection with local stakeholders and local iwi (Maori) groups. A variety of race distances are now available to the hundreds that enjoy the varied trails and landscapes including Taraweras lake and active volcano!
I’ve just picked 7 of the ultras from the book, there are many, many more on each continent to pour over as you turn the pages of this book.
Verdict:
ULTRA is a beautifully produced and smartly put together book. This is a superb source of inspiration, with bite-size facts and global perspective — perfect for runners looking to plot a future race or anyone who enjoys exploring what the wonderful world has to offer. Highly recommended!
About the author: An experienced running coach in the realms of both the road and off-road world and a competitive athlete having run and raced over multiple distances both in the UK and abroad. Faye loves the outdoors and enjoys using running to explore new and favourite places.
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