“Imagine how difficult it is to train for 26.2 miles, the sacrifices and the challenges both physical and mental.” Then tack on a battered immune system, amplified exhaustion, and a higher risk of injury. “Don’t do it!” is the first thing Freeman tells runners considering a 50-miler (a typical intro distance for aspiring ultramarathoners). Running 50 miles is an exploration of your own resolve-a psychological challenge that borders on a spiritual awakening. The draw lies in something beyond tight abs and a roaring metabolism. Last year, more than 52,000 people tested their grit at 717 ultra-distance events held in North America. Thanks to books like Born to Run and celebs like Karnazes, participation in ultrarunning events has more than doubled over the past five years, according to Ultrarunning Magazine.

“It’s a willingness to get really uncomfortable for self-enlightenment,” says ultra coach Jimmy Dean Freeman, who ran his first 50-miler in 2005 after seeing “Ultramarathon Man” Dean Karnazes speak at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. Any ultrarunner will tell you each step past 26.2 miles is transcendental.

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