What is 200 miles?

Well, depending on whom you ask, you might get a different answer.

200 miles is roughly the distance between San Francisco, CA and Reno, NV. It’s 3-4 hours by car and less than an hour by plane. It’s just shy of the total number of miles you’d cover if you were to hike from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney along the John Muir Trail.

It’s also the distance that 11 people decided to run last weekend at the Born to Run Ultra Marathon in Los Olivos, CA.

Image Credit: Luis Escobar

Image Credit: Luis Escobar

For what reason they ran, I’m not entirely sure. Some may have done it simply because they wanted to prove to themselves they could. No doubt others did it to help them cope—with loss, with adversity, with fear. A few probably did it because it was the next logical notch on a belt already adorned with lesser ultra marathons and endurance races.

Although the individual “why” is important, what stood out most to me was what each of these athletes shared: an unbelievable will to keep going. All of them ran through multiple days and nights, spending anywhere from 53 to 70+ hours on their feet, running and walking through grueling mid-day heat and chilling nighttime cold.

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Image Credit: Mara Slais Klassen

Image Credit: Mara Slais Klassen

Each of the 11 200-milers was powered by his or her own particular reason for running, but it was that collective will that saw them through to the finish line. In the individual will to achieve this monumental goal, they shared a commonality.

So what is 200 miles? 200 miles is a reminder that we are capable of great things. The Born to Run movement is based on the belief that running is in our blood. I would argue that the will to accomplish something spectacular is also in our blood, and that no matter how high the bar is set, there will always be someone there to meet it, surpass it, and set the bar ever higher. To those 11 finishers, I would like to extend a special gesture of gratitude: Thank you for reminding us that, in believing we are capable, there is no limit to what we might accomplish.

 

Additional Image Credits: Featured Image by Elva Hernandez

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