Marijuana has always been a topic that has spurred many debates worldwide. Be it it’s overall legality, or the health benefits it may or may not provide, however one sport has seen a major increase in the use of marijuana, and it isn’t football or basketball.
The ultra-running community has seen a very stark increase in the number of marijuana users in recent years we learn from the Wall Street Journal.
We’re all familiar with marathons such as the Boston Marathon which get worldwide acclaim, but that would just be considered a regular marathon in which regular runners compete.
Ultra-marathons such as the Fat Dog 120, pose a much more strenuous task for a runner daring enough to undergo the physical and mental strain that a 120 mile race over mountainous terrains have to offer.
Running 120 miles in one single race as you can imagine puts unbearable amounts of strain upon one’s body. Look beyond your common running obstacles as well. When your running anywhere from 30 to 200 miles you also need to take in calories to function.
Many competitors in these such races also often retire mid race due to a sudden lack of motivation, and who could honestly blame them. The thought of running 200 miles is enough to cripple even the greatest of athletes as far as I am concerned.
It has been said that managing the pain that constantly ensues is the only way to complete running an ultra-marathon.
Those reasons alone are driving many ultra-marathon runners to turn to marijuana to help aid in training, but not necessarily just for post workout pain relief we learn from the Wall Street Journal.
In fact, many runners not only use marijuana while training for races but during the races also.
The use of marijuana allows runners to not only help manage pain symptoms they may accrue during training or a race, but its anti-nauseating properties also make pot a big hit within the community.
When you’re running anywhere upwards of 100 miles it often becomes hard for many racers to ingest calories needed to continue to race due to them becoming nauseated. Marijuana provides a means for a runner to still develop an appetite mid race pretty much on demand.
Most ultra-marathons do not test for marijuana due to high costs, which in turn allows many runners to use marijuana up to, and sometimes during races.
Though many racers refuse to reveal publicly whether or not they will use mid race for ethical reasons, it is a well known fact that marijuana is prevalent throughout the sport.
A veteran racer Jenn Shelton states:
“The ultra-marathon community generally is aware of those who do so. Pot, is just one of the numerous painkillers that athletes take during the grueling races. It isn’t uncommon for athletes to pop multiple Advil or Tylenol during a 100-mile race.”
While many runners are using marijuana for its medical benefits, Trail Runner Mag reports that a great number of ultra-runners are using the drug as something like a motivator.
Marijuana tends to make many people rather lethargic, but a lot of runners report that it has the opposite affect when they use the drug during races.
Post race, however is a different story.
Runner Avery Collins is adamant about using marijuana post race in order to rest and relax.
“You’re running for 17 to 20 hours straight, and when you stop, sometimes your legs and your brain don’t just stop, sometimes [pot] is the only way I can fall asleep after racing.”
Regardless of how you feel towards the laws regarding marijuana, it cannot be ignored that it’s pain relieving properties are beneficial to athletes of various genres, not just those sports we commonly associate it with.
As marijuana laws become more lax around the country, and world, I believe we are going to begin to see a major influx in the amount of athletes using marijuana to help them meet the physical demands of their professions.