[+] Against Time

The Ultramarathon Cut-Off

[Diesen Artikel gibt es auch auf Deutsch]

“All good things must come to an end."

And so does every race. Unfortunately, not always with the ceremonial crossing of the finish line, but sometimes because you fall victim to the cut-off.

Cut-off? What the hell is that?

For the particularly fast ones who've never had to deal with a cut-off: that’s the official time limit set by the race organizers. If you, as a participant, do not finish the race within that time, or do not reach a certain point, such as an aid station, you will not be recognized as an official finisher and/or will be removed from the race. The cut-off times are part of the organizer's official announcement and will be clearly communicated before and during the race. So no one can say: "I didn't know!"

It is obvious that there has to be something like a time limit. The organizational effort for a running event is immense, ranging from road closures to the complicated logistics of catering for participants to the constant state of readiness of the emergency services. At some point, the numerous helpers, many of whom are volunteers, want to go home. And rightly so.

From the runners' point of view, however, approaching or crossing such a cut-off point can be an extremely nerve-wracking, perhaps even traumatic experience.

(Photo by Paul Müller)