This means they may take walking breaks, pause to drink or eat and even sleep if the events are especially long, such as multi-day races. No penalty results from any such interruption, except for the time or distance a runner loses from his or her performance. Men and women compete in ultramarathons at all levels. They always have. In modern times, they usually compete together in the same race.
Journey running is another aspect of the sport.
Journey runners are lone trekkers who set out to cover long distances at their own daily pace. The most common examples are transcontinental runners, such as those who have crossed Canada, the United States and Australia on foot, or those who have run from John O'Groats to Land's End in Britain. Megarunners are another sub-group within the sport. They are known not for their speed or records but for the great number of marathons and ultramarathons they run. Henri Girault of Naintre, France, has run more than 200 races of 100 kilometres or more.