[ordinaryperson]

Not really.

Sierre Zenal was just run and Killian Jornet posted a 2:25. The top woman, someone who'd previously been caught doping, ran a 2:49.

Or take Comrades, probably the most prestigious ultra, an 89K race in South Africa. Men's record is 5:18, women's record is 5:54.

This race was sandwiched between Sierre Zenal and the upcoming Pike's Peak Marathon, most serious ultra runners are doing one or both of those.

Not to take anything from Ellie Pell, great accomplishment winning Green Lakes, but it is not accurate to suggest that men and women are "quite close" in ultra running, despite what that RW article suggests. Just take a look at the times for any major event.

[steve_gh]

Sierre-Zinal and Pikes Peak are strictly not even ultras, as they are not long enough. Not to take anything away from them, they are both really good races.

I'm not sure that I'd agree that most serious ultra runners are doing one or both of these two. UTMB is next week, and most of the trail world elite will be there. They will all be tapering right now!

Also, Comrades is a road race, and these are very different form the trail ultras - a lot flatter for starters.

I wouldn't be surprised if we get a female outright UTMB winner in the next 10 years - hopefully 5.

[flukus]

What would the times of the median runners look like? Median isn't the right word, but when you look at record times your looking at extreme outliers in a group that are already extreme outliers relative to most of humanity. If we snipped off these statistical outliers does the gap grow or shrink?