I hate it when people speak of
runners as “heroes.” Runners are no heroes. They’re not saving anyone’s life. They only do it for themselves, so the word selfish would be more appropriate than Hero. Is it hard? Hell no! It’s just fun. Sure, we struggle sometimes, but if it weren’t something joyful, we would not do it first. Working in a mine or in the heat on a rooftop is hard. Not hopping up and down the trails during free time.
Someone running an ultra is only helping themself to be happier and consequently become a better person, but running 48 hours without sleeping does not make them a hero.
