Pacers, Crews, and the Spirit of Ultras: Are We Losing Something?

The ultra running world is evolving rapidly. At major races like Western States, Cocodona, and Moab, we're witnessing the rise of elaborate crew villages, multiple pacers working in shifts, and support systems that rival military operations. This transformation prompts a critical question: are we creating two distinct versions of our beloved sport?

As someone who typically races without crew support, I've always found the magic of ultra running in those raw moments of solitude – when it's just me, my mind, and the trail having a conversation that can't be interrupted. There's something profoundly transformative about facing a 100+ mile journey alone, solving problems on the fly, and discovering who you become when everything falls apart at mile 70, 100, or beyond. That struggle between breaking down and finding a way forward has always been the heart of what makes this sport special to me.

Yet I recognize the immense value crews and pacers bring. They can be literal lifesavers in dangerous conditions, catching signs of deterioration a depleted runner might miss. There's undeniable power in sharing these epic journeys with others, creating bonds through shared suffering and triumph. For those chasing specific time goals or competitive placements, a well-coordinated crew becomes an essential part of the performance equation. Different approaches serve different purposes, and there's no single "right way" to experience ultra running.

What matters most is finding meaning in your miles, whatever that looks like for you. Whether you're drawn to the solitary challenge of self-reliance or the shared adventure with supporters, the essential question remains: what transformation are you seeking on the trail? I'd love to hear your experiences with crews, pacers, or solo adventures. Have you found that sweet spot between support and self-discovery? Subscribe now and join our growing community of non-elite runners who choose to endure, wherever and however you find yourself on this amazing ultra journey.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, hello again and welcome back If this happens to
be your first time with us.
Thank you so much for stoppingby.
You are listening to Choose toEndure, the podcast dedicated to
non-elite runners, where weshare stories, interviews, gear
and training tips specific tothe tail-end heroes of the Ultra

(00:24):
Universe.
Training tips specific to thetail-end heroes of the Ultra
universe.
If you haven't had a moment todo so yet, please consider
heading over to your favoritepodcast app, maybe the one
you're listening on right nowHit, follow, rate the show and,
if you're getting something ofvalue, make sure you leave a
review and let others know.
My name is Richard Gleave.
I have been running ultrassince 2017.

(00:47):
I have taken on and finishednumerous ultra distances, all
the way up through 220 miles,and I am unashamedly a member of
the back of the pack, just likemany of you.
Now, today, I want to dig intoa topic that's been kind of
rattling around a bit in my mindfor a while now, and it's

(01:09):
something that actually seems tobe coming up more and more in
the ultra world as I peruse theinterwebs, and that is
specifically about the role ofpacers and crews in ultra
running.
Crews in ultra running howthey're shaping our races, how

(01:37):
they're shaping our experiencesand whether, just maybe, we're
losing a little somethingimportant along the way you are.
This is the Choose to EndureUltra Running Podcast With your
host he's English, notAustralian Richard Gleave.
If you've been paying attentionat big races lately Cocodona,

(01:57):
moab, western States you'll knowexactly what I'm talking about
Massive crews, crew villages ataid stations, multiple paces,
rotating shifts, tents, supplies, massive logistical operations
at every checkpoint.
Honestly, it's actually prettyimpressive and it really does go

(02:22):
to show how seriously peopleare taking these events.
And for some, especially ifyou're one of those chasing a
win or goals, it's completelynecessary.
You need efficiency, you needsupport, you need those extra 1%
edges wherever you can findthem.
But as I looked through some ofthose, it did make me wonder
are we unintentionally creatingtwo versions of ultra running

(02:46):
One where you're self-sufficient, moving through the miles with
everything you need basicallystrapped to your back, and one
where you're essentially part ofa moving team with pit crews
keeping you on track at alltimes at all times?

(03:08):
Is the spirit of solo problemsolving and battling yourself
getting lost somewhere in thishuge logistics race?
Now, speaking for myself, Idon't usually have the luxury of
a crew.
It's just not practical for me.
I don't tend to have a teamthat can fly out or drop
everything at work to come campout for a few days while I chase

(03:28):
finish lines, because it takesme a while to get there.
Usually I think too, the guiltI'd feel proactively asking
anyone to give up their time andfamily to come support me, and
the worry I would feel, you know, wondering how they're doing
and making sure I'm where I needto be for them at the
appropriate time.
That all seems to me anyway alittle bit overwhelming.

(03:50):
But even if I did have somebodyreach out and volunteer, I
genuinely don't know whether ornot I would choose to race that
way, because for me the wholemagic of ultra running has
always been about facing thecourse and myself alone.
The beauty has always been inthe challenge, in wondering how

(04:14):
am I going to get through thisand then somehow often messy,
often ugly finding a way to keepgoing forwards.
Now, before you say anything,don't get me wrong here.
I have absolutely benefitedfrom the kindness of strangers
and other racers.
Those moments where you link upwith another runner at mile 70,

(04:38):
mile 140, suddenly you'repulling each other through some
really dark patches.
Those moments are absolute goldand I certainly won't turn
those down if they happen, butthey've always happened by
chance, organically not for me,anyway, because I planned for

(04:58):
somebody else to pick me up.
The race is, whichever race itis, for me has always been about
the conversation between mymind, my body and the trail.
Now, that's not to say cruiseand paces aren't incredibly
valuable or even essential insome contexts.

(05:20):
In fact, they can be absolutelyand genuinely life-saving
Absolutely and genuinelylife-saving.
In dangerous conditions, thingslike extreme heat, freezing
nights, terrible terrain.
A good crew or a smart pacercan literally save a life.
They can catch the things youmight miss in your own fog of

(05:41):
exhaustion.
And there's something I thinkreally powerful about sharing
your journey with others.
It's not just about sufferingalone.
Ultra running, at its bestanyway, is about connection too.
How many times have we talkedabout that on the podcast?
Hiring sunrises after brutalnights getting hammered by a

(06:12):
fierce storm on a beach in theouter banks, handing your soul
essentially over to somebody youtrust to keep you moving
forwards.
Crossing that finish linebecomes not just a personal
victory but a really intenseshared experience, something you
did together, something yousurvived together and something
to talk about and refer back tolong into the future.

(06:33):
And if your reason for runningis simply to be in nature to
move freely, to experience theworld in a deeper way, then
really, whether you do it soloor you're surrounded by friends,
it doesn't actually change theheart of that experience, which
is really cool For a lot ofpeople.
I totally understand.
Having crew and paces actuallyenhances that connection with

(06:57):
the outdoors, with the journeyand with each other, and that is
fantastic.
There's also a strategic side ofall this.
If you're chasing a specificgoal let's say you're shooting
to break 24 hours at 100 milerhaving a strong crew and
well-planned paces can be acritical part of that plan.

(07:19):
They can keep you efficient,they can keep your stops tight,
they can keep your nutrition onpoint, they can really keep you
moving when your brain justwants to sit down in that chair
and quit.
Now, in those moments, a crewor a pacer isn't just comfort.
It's part of the performanceequation and that, I think, is a

(07:40):
legitimate, smart use of everytool available to you.
There's definitely no shame inracing hard and using help
strategically.
But like everything in life,there is another side to it.
Not everyone has access to a bigcrew or even, as in my case,

(08:01):
any crew at all, and when thefield is split between those who
have rolling support teams andthose who are carrying their own
world on their back, it canstart to feel a little, shall we
say, unequal Not unfairnecessarily, just a little

(08:21):
different.
And it does raise a biggerquestion.
And it does raise a biggerquestion when we start relying
too heavily on others to get usto the finish of these big races
.
Do we lose a little bit of thatraw experience that makes ultra
running so transformative?
Do we rob ourselves of themessy, beautiful, brutal lessons

(08:53):
that come from truly beingalone out there?
Interestingly and this onereally stuck with me too I
recently read that the Vol State500, one of Lazarus Lake's
races, banned crews movingforwards.
Now, if you know anything aboutLaz, you've heard of the Barclay
Marathons, right, you know heis a stickler for preserving the

(09:13):
purity of the challenge.
What I read was that the changewas made in order to bring Vol
State back to its roots.
It was getting a little out ofhand, so what they wanted to do
was come back to self-relianceand the solo struggle Finding

(09:34):
your way with no safety net,nothing really, but your own
grit.
I think that's a pretty boldmove, and from such a respected
race as well, it says a lotabout where some quite
respectable people think theheart of ultra running still
belongs.

(09:54):
So for me, when I sign up for arace, I'm not signing up for
comfort, I'm not signing up forany kind of guarantee of success
.
I get that.
I'm signing up for a questionwho will I be when everything
goes wrong?
When I'm sitting in the aidstation chair crying into my
15th hummus tortilla wrap, whenmy leg sees up, when I can't eat

(10:19):
, when it's mile 230 and Ihaven't slept for two days, when
I'm hallucinating gorillaswaving at me from the shadows on
a trail?
That's the battle I'm there for.
Who am I?
That's the moment that stripsaway everything else, all the
ego, all the plans, all the pacecharts, all the expectations.

(10:40):
It ends up being just meagainst myself.
But and I'll say this just asloudly that doesn't mean every
runner has to approach it thesame way I do, and I totally get
that.
Some people are out there forthe sunrise, for the forests,
for the shared journey, for thelaughs at the aid stations, for

(11:01):
the love of moving acrossbeautiful landscapes with people
they care about, and I do thosethings too.
I'm not saying I don't thosethings are equally valid, but
just different reasons,different races, different
rewards.
At the end of the day, it'sabout finding meaning in the

(11:24):
miles, whatever that means foryou.
So I'd love to hear what youthink about this topic.
Am I way off base?
Have you raced solo?
Have you used paces?
Have you had an epic crewexperience that changed
everything for you?
Maybe you felt that subtledifference between running for
yourself and running alongsideothers?

(11:44):
Shoot me a DM on Instagram orFacebook.
I'd love to hear your story andmaybe, just maybe, I might
share it in a future episode.
While you're out browsing theinternet there, don't forget to
subscribe to the show.
That way, you'll get notifiedeach time a new episode drops
and if you're enjoying what youhear, please, please, follow,

(12:09):
share and leave a review again.
That would would mean the world.
Your support helps grow.
The podcast connects morerunners to this amazing ultra
community and spreads the wordto those who could benefit from
what we're sharing here.
You can find us on Instagramand Facebook at ChooseToEndure,
or visit anytime atChooseToEndurecom and go check

(12:29):
out the blogs.
I'd love to hear from youwhether it's to say hello,
suggest a topic or share yourstory.
You can also email me directlyat info at choosetoeenjoycom.
Interacting with listeners likeyou is one of my favorite parts
of doing this show, sodefinitely don't be shy about
reaching out.
So until next time, run long,run strong.

(12:52):
Think about what it means torun solo or run with a crew and
keep choosing to endure.