![]() ![]() ![]() Previously, what happened on the trail stayed on the trail. (Photo: Courtesy UTMB) The Rise of Ultrarunning Tracking and Streaming The livestream feed from the 2019 OCC race at UTMB. Livestreaming suggests an exciting future for ultrarunning-and it also harkens back to the sport’s centuries-old roots. But the media landscape of the sport, in particular, video livestreaming, is a major technological force shaping the future of ultrarunning-not just for the runners but also for spectators. There’s much to be said about GPS watches, sport-specific equipment, online registration, social media, and the emerging world of fantasy trail running. ![]() But things are changing as the sport grows, and the most impactful of these changes involve technology. Others feel as though amateurism is holding the sport back. For some, these elements are seen as inextricable from the culture of ultrarunning. Also, the infrastructure is still broadly low-tech. There’s little prize money to be had, free camping at starting lines is common, and scruffy beards abound. Who would have guessed so many people want to run races of 50 or 100 miles-or, increasingly, even longer?ĭespite this increasing popularity, vestiges of the sport’s niche history remain. The number of races in North America has more than doubled in the past decade, and, in 2022, there were ten times as many races as in 2002. On any given weekend, there are over a dozen ultrarunning events across the United States. Today, ultrarunning is one of America’s fastest-growing sports. But thanks to new technologies, the age of ultrarunning livestreaming is here. The course is too long to view from one location, and progress is relatively slow. A 30-hour trail race may not seem, at first, like it would make a great spectator sport. ![]()
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