What is the most extreme race?
With the explosion in popularity of extreme endurance events over the last decades, there is a lot of competition to be seen as the most extreme. Here are some of the leading contenders, depending on what you think is the toughest factor to overcome.
Extreme conditions
The Marathon des Sables (Marathon of the Sands) takes place in the Moroccan Sahara desert, with around a thousand contestants. The gruelling race covers 156 miles over six days in soaring temperatures that can exceed 50 degrees celsius. Ploughing through rocks and sand whilst avoiding sand storms and snake bites, this really is the toughest foot race on earth.
Extreme history
The Spartathlon was started by a fan of classical history who wanted to see if he could recreate Greek messenger Pheidippides' 153-mile run from Athens to Sparta in a day and a half. It turned it out it is possible (for some), and now each year hundreds retread those historical steps from a moment that defined Western civilisation.
Extreme ascent
The Trans Pyr is an unrelenting eight-day bike race that takes participants across the width of Spain and up and down 66,601 feet – the equivalent of going up Mount Everest twice, with plenty to spare.
Extreme altitude
Even the most accomplished long-distance runners struggle with the sheer lack of oxygen available in the Leadville 100 Run in Colorado, where the entire 100-mile race is run above 10,000 feet. For reference, altitude sickness in most people kicks in at 8,000 feet.
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