Durability Is the Ultrarunner's Most Underrated Superpower

Finishing a 100-miler isn't just about fitness — it's about who holds together when everything starts to fall apart. Here's what separates the runners who make it to the finish line from those who don't.

You've done the long runs. You've stacked back-to-back days. Your VO2 max is solid and your race-day nutrition is dialed. But somewhere past mile 60, when the wheels start to wobble and your form degrades into something resembling a very determined zombie shuffle — that's when fitness stops being the whole story. That's when durability takes over.

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