Ever wondered, what is too much in an ultra?

Canadian, Mike Murphy last week ran The Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica. He was having a battle royal with South African, Iain Don Wauchope. Showing real grit, on day two Mike pulled back a huge time deficit (due to going off course on day one) and took over the race lead.

Mike then lost the lead again on day three. The stage was set for a head-to-head battle but Mike started to suffer… on the evening of day five (with just one day left) Mike was pulled out of the race by the medics and eventually ended up in hospital.

All is okay and Mike is now back in Canada. But he just sent me this message:

“I’m ALIVE! Got home from the hospital (Vancouver) last night, and my issues/injuries seem to stable and/or improving. The list is:
Broken Radius, Arm/elbow infection, Heat stroke, Hyponatremia, Blood loss (causing anemia).”

Believe me, Mike is one of the most committed runners I have ever witnessed in a race. Costa Rica and The Coastal Challenge offered each and every competitor a unique set of challenges. Lets face it, that is the attraction isn’t it? Relentless heat, high humidity, long stretches of open beach, dense forest, fire roads, water crossings, technical river beds and a plethora of other challenges.

But can you be too committed in a race?

Welcome your thoughts and have you ever pushed yourself too far?