How to Pick the Right Race
With a new race year approaching and lotteries in progress, your race calendar might be open. You want to sign up for a race, but which one? There are so many options.
The last thing you want is to invest time and training in the wrong race.
When faced with this big decision, runners often delegate it to others - crowdsource ideas online, pick the race everyone says they should do, or choose one that’s supposedly “easy.”
The problem? Making your decisions this way often lacks the strong, personal reason to run—a compelling “why” - you need to have a great race.
Ultras take a lot of unswerving determination. Without a strong “why,” your motivation to train, persevere, and cross the finish line can fail. An ensuing DNF then causes you to question your ability, even though the real issue was choosing a race that didn’t truly inspire you.
Grit and toughness are great, but having your heart in the race is essential.
You can avoid this pitfall by getting clear on your own preferences and using them to guide your race choices - no matter what anyone else thinks.
Don’t know your preferences? It’s surprisingly not uncommon, especially if you were raised as a woman. Society conditions us to put everyone else’s preferences above our own and rewards us for it. You can get so used to doing that, it can feel unfamiliar, even uncomfortable, to think about what you truly want.
So here’s a list of criteria I use with clients to help them uncover what they’re looking for in a race. If you don’t know the answer to these yet, it’s ok - this is the perfect time to start learning.
Values - What are your top five values? Beauty, adventure, community—what matters most to you? Which value do you want to experience in this race? Values might seem intangible, but they often have the greatest impact.
Course - Do you prefer point-to-point, out-and-back, lollipop, loops, or a more complex layout like a spaghetti bowl? Do you want to try something new?
Location - Where would you most love to run - deserts, mountains, cities, or prairies? What region or country excites you?
Terrain - Do you prefer roads, tracks, dirt roads, or single-track trails? Or is this the year to try something new?
Elevation - What appeals to you - a flat course, rolling hills, or rugged mountain terrain with significant altitude? How much elevation gain/loss do you want?
Size - Do you want a race with 500 runners or something more intimate with 100? Would you enjoy multiple distances happening simultaneously or a single-event race?
Distance/Time/Format - Fixed time (12-, 24-, or 48-hour+ races)? Specific distances like 50K, 100K, 100 miles, or beyond? Stage races? Last Person Standing?
Time of year - What weather, daylight hours, and seasonal conditions (heat, cold, rain, snow) suit you best?
Rules - Are there mandatory crew or gear requirements, entry requirements, or other race-specific rules and are you willing to follow them?
Timing - How well does the race fit with your other commitments, such as school, family, or work projects?
Any time you spend exploring these preferences pays off—not just in choosing races but in running them. The better you know yourself, the more confidently you face the roughest moments of a race.
Other people or media might try to influence you, but you’ll have the greatest ultrarunning by charting your own course.
The best race is the one you genuinely want to run.
