140 brave souls tackling 100-mile foot race from Jacksonville to Ponce Inlet

DAYTONA BEACH — There are those charmed days when a runner feels like they could glide through the streets of their city for hours and finish feeling better than when they hit the start button on their watch.

But even for the most well-conditioned runner, trotting through anything longer than 10 or 20 miles can get to be a gritty push if they're keeping a respectable pace.

So imagine the mental toughness and training regimen 140 runners will bring to the starting line of a race that begins this weekend in Jacksonville Beach and ends in Ponce Inlet.

Those who bravely show up for the 6 a.m. start Saturday will be taking on a 100-mile race – that's right, no typo there, 100 miles – that for even the fastest runners won't end until about 5 p.m. Saturday evening.

Those who keep a slower pace will have until 1 p.m. Sunday to reach the finish line in Ponce Inlet's Davies Lighthouse Park.

The eighth annual Daytona 100 Ultramarathon will be run entirely on State Road A1A, and the ultramarathoners will have sidewalks available along most of the route.

There will be aid stations about every 10 miles where runners can get water, food, sunscreen and a chance to check in with medical professionals if they're feeling woozy or achy.

Read about triathlons in Daytona Beach this weekend: Daytona International Speedway welcomes thousands of triathletes this week

More Daytona Beach-area sports news: Joey Cantens, Daytona State building a cohesive team in coach’s second year

There will also be designated businesses where competitors can use the restrooms, preferably after buying something to show their appreciation for use of the facilities. Since the recent tropical storms closed beach parks, that's not going to be an option for restrooms.

Some participants will have friends and family members in cars checking in with them every few miles to see if they need a Band-Aid for a blister, ice or a fresh shirt.

Are we there yet?

Bob Becker, the Daytona 100 race director, estimates about 75% of the runners will finish the full 100 miles since the weather should be good and the course is Florida flat.

"The elite runners will run almost the whole course," said Becker, who is a fellow ultramarathoner himself.

The elite runners will also only slow to a walk while they eat, but won't stop, he said. They'll only sit if they need to change their socks or shoes, he said.

He said the average finish time will be about 25 or 26 hours, with "quite a few faster or slower." So for some runners, they'll see a sunrise, a sunset and another sunrise before they're done.

"Most runners will not sleep," Becker said, noting a small percent will take a snooze in their support crews' vehicles.

Those who make it to the finish line in Ponce Inlet will be treated to freshly cooked hamburgers, soup and a party in the park complete with an awards ceremony.

If 50 miles sounds less insane to you...

For those who want a challenge but get nauseous and exhausted just thinking about tackling a race that's almost the equivalent of four marathons, there are two shorter options Saturday.

A 50-mile race will start at noon, and a 50-kilometer race, which translates to 31 miles, will start at 1 p.m. Saturday in Flagler Beach. Becker said 60 people have signed up to run the 50-mile race and 40 plan to run the 31-mile competition.

The 50-milers should be done in about seven or eight hours.

Becker said the runners will be very spread out in all three races, so there won't be any road closures or traffic disruptions.

"If you didn't see the (shirt) bib numbers you'd have no idea a race was going on," he said.

Becker will be busy overseeing things this weekend, but he's been running ultramarathons for the past 15 years. One of his favorites is the 100-mile race from Key Largo to Key West.

He's competed in more than 50 races ranging from 30 miles to 230 miles. His personal record for a 100-mile race, which he set more than a decade ago, was 23 hours. Now he said he needs about 27 or 28 hours to cover that distance.

He's 77 years old, and he was 62 when he started the long-distance competitions. He said he wishes he would have started younger to see how fast he could have been.

Most runners in the Daytona 100 are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, but some are teenagers while others are in Becker's 75-plus age range.

But at any age, running 50 or 100 miles is very much about preparation and mental toughness, Becker said.

"It's a technical thing," he said. "You have to balance your nutrition, hydration and electrolytes. You have to be able to handle fatigue."

He said it takes practice to figure out things like what food, beverages and replacement products will agree with your stomach while running for so many hours.

"You learn what shoes and socks work," he added.

When he's training for a 100-mile race, his longest runs will get up to 40-50 miles, but he won't go beyond that until race day.

"Time on your feet is important, and you train on the most similar course as possible," he said. "You learn how to sustain yourself and not injure yourself in the process. Running 100 miles hurts you."

You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Ultramarathoners competing in 100-mile race from Jacksonville to Ponce