Top 10 Hardest Endurance Events

I can remember back to my school days when the summer months came around, and my P.E teacher revisited cross-country. The groans that would erupt wasn't surprising, as it was a gruelling event.

I was quite good at cross-country and so didn't mind it as much as a lot of others did.

Comparing my cross-country days however, to the hardest endurance events on the planet and there's no dispute over how hard these events are. Some of them, I think you would almost have to be superhuman to finish.

1. Spartathlon

Credit: Ser13gio

The Spartathlon is a gruelling 153 mile ultramarathon race, held in annually in Greece. The race has been held in Greece since 1983, and starts at Athens and ends in Sparta.

The goal of the Spartathlon is to retrace the footsteps of Pheidippides, an Athenian messenger sent to Sparta in 490 BC to seek help against the Persians. According to an account by Greek historian Herodotus in The Persian Wars, Pheidippides arrived in Sparta the day after he departed.

The race was first done by John Foden and four RAF officers, to see if it was possible to do the journey Pheidippides did. Three out of the five of them completed it.

There are 75 checkpoints along the route, each with their own cut-off time for completion. Organisers may pull out people who don't meet the checkpoint marks in time, or people who display extreme fatigue.

2. Marathon des Sables

Marathon des Sables is a six day 153 mile long ultramarathon, the equivalent of six regular marathons, the longest single stage being 57 miles.

Water and tents are supplied by the organisers. What makes this event even harder though, is that competitors must carry all personal belongings and food for the entire event in their backpack.

Two people have died during this race.

There is a fee to pay if you want to enter, for the 2008 Marathon des Sables, the registration fee was €2550, and that was before taxes.

3. Race Across America

Race Across America (RAAM) is an ultramarathon cyclist event, that sees cyclists cycle across the United States, approximately 3000 miles over the course of a week.

The Great American Bike Race was originally organised by John Marino in 1982. There were four competitors; John Marino, John Howard, Michael Shermer, and Lon Haldeman.

Until recently, there had never been any designated places for eating and sleeping, with sleeping being optional.

4. Arctic Circle Ski Race

The Arctic Circle Ski Race is the world's hardest cross-country ski race in the world. It sees competitors travel 160km in three days while traversing through harsh,freezing conditions.

Hundreds of people will be involved in making sure the race runs smoothly, and in creating a party in honour of the participants that take part.

5. Antarctic 100K Race

Credit: Kobold

The Antarctic Ice Marathon was established by Richard Donova. Throughout the whole race, the terrain is composed of snow and ice, as-well as having an average wind chill of -20C.

The Antarctic Ice Marathon is the only marathon to be held inside the Antarctic circle. Snowmobile support, aid stations and medical personnel are all on hand for the duration of the race for anyone who needs them. You wont have massive crowds cheering you on during this race, meaning you can only rely on yourself (or if you're lucky enough to be near someone, then them as-well) to push forwards.

6. Nambian 24h Ultramarathon

The Nambian 24h Ultramarathon takes runners through the Namib Desert, with a time limit of 24 hours.

Runners must run the equivalent of three marathons over 126km, fighting against a blistering heat during the day of sometimes 45C, and a chilling temperature sometimes as low as freezing point.

The race is a yearly event.

7. Vendee Globe

The Vendee Globe is considered by many as the 'ultimate' in ocean racing. It is a single-handed individual non-stop boating endurance race, that takes participants around the world without any assistance.

The race takes place every four years, with only the most experienced yacht sailors taking part to compete. It isn't just a horrendous endurance race, but is actually quite a dangerous sport, as huge waves and storms are very real. Put that together with the fact that you're on your own during the coarse of the race, capsizing is a very real danger.

8. Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a long distance annual dog race. The conditions of this race are not easy, with sledders having to frequently race through blizzards and whiteout conditions, with a wind chill of up to -72C.

Mushers have 12-16 dogs and have to cover the races distance in 9-15 days. The current record holder for the fastest race time is held by 2011 winner John Baker, with an impressive time of 8 days,19 hours, 46 minutes, and 39 seconds.

The event is the most anticipated event in all of Alaska, with top mushers and their dogs being treated like celebrities.

9. Patrville des Glaciers

The Patrouille des Glaciers is a ski mountaineering race organised every two years by the Swiss Army. Fifty three kilometres, altitude difference +3994m and - 4090m. This is equivalent to 110 km without altitude difference.

It is a group effort, three members to a team. In order to qualify, they must have alpine experience to handle extreme conditions, have the physical, mental and technical requirements of the competition, good sportsman ship, an excellent experienced skier, and are able to complete the race in the time limits set. 

10. Tour d' Afrique

Tour d'Afrique is one of the longest bicycle races and expeditions in the whole world. It runs each year from January to May, from Cairo to Cape Town. The race is made up of 100 stages varying in size from 40km to 100km. 

The organisers prepare three meals every day, and transport tents and other equipment the riders need for the night stops.

The race is mostly made up of exhibition riders, who ride at their own pace, stopping at various villages and landmarks along the way.

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