Frequently Unasked Questions of the  Mad City 100K 2nd Annual Race: Saturday April 12th, 2008 Sometimes asked, many times not. Here we have listed our most common "Frequently Unasked Questions".   Q.    Timo, why a 100-kilometer road race? A.    Internationally, 100 kilometers is a popular distance for ultramarathons. Overseas, roads are favored over trails. Why? I can’t say for sure, but ultra road races are very well-established and growing in Europe, Russia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, South Africa, and elsewhere. The sport’s governing body, the International Association of Ultrarunners (“IAU”), sanctions the World Cup each year.*  The World Cup 100K race is always a road race. Q.    Why, Timo, does the Mad City 100K limit prize money and national championship awards to members of USATF? A.    Typical of international sports organizations, IAU is an organization made up of other organizations. IAU’s American member is USA Track & Field (“USATF”). USATF selects the members of the men’s and women’s teams to represent the United States at the World Cup. I want the Mad City 100K to be a race where American runners have a favorable opportunity to run a fast time - fast enough to meet the USATF qualifying standard to make the national team.**  I also want to encourage American runners to give this longer distance a try and find out what so many other countries’ runners have discovered in a 100-kilometer road race. Within a short time, I want to see the American men’s and women’s teams rise to consistent prominence in world competition. I see the prize money and the prestige of running in a national championship as incentives for the best and the most promising American runners to step up to the 100-kilometer distance and to run on the road. Beyond that, USATF has made it a condition of the race that prize money and national championship awards be limited to runners who belong to the organization. And anyway, it costs just $29.95 for an annual membership. *    For more information about IAU and international ultramarathoning, you can check out the organization’s website at www.iau.org.tw. This tells you about upcoming ultra races around the world, race results, and organizational news. **    USATF qualifying standard to make the national team: The 2008 qualifying standards are 7 hours, 20 minutes for men, and 8 hours, 40 minutes for women. Inaugural Race: Saturday April 7th, 2007 Sometimes asked, many times not. Here we have listed our most common "Frequently Unasked Questions".   Q.    Timo, why a 100-kilometer road race? A.    Internationally, 100 kilometers is a popular distance for ultramarathons. Overseas, roads are favored over trails. Why? I can’t say for sure, but ultra road races are very well-established and growing in Europe, Russia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, South Africa, and elsewhere. The sport’s governing body, the International Association of Ultrarunners (“IAU”), sanctions the World Cup each year.*  The World Cup 100K race is always a road race. Q.    Why, Timo, does the Mad City 100K limit prize money and national championship awards to members of USATF? A.    Typical of international sports organizations, IAU is an organization made up of other organizations. IAU’s American member is USA Track & Field (“USATF”). USATF selects the members of the men’s and women’s teams to represent the United States at the World Cup. I want the Mad City 100K to be a race where American runners have a favorable opportunity to run a fast time - fast enough to meet the USATF qualifying standard to make the national team.**  I also want to encourage American runners to give this longer distance a try and find out what so many other countries’ runners have discovered in a 100-kilometer road race. Within a short time, I want to see the American men’s and women’s teams rise to consistent prominence in world competition. I see the prize money and the prestige of running in a national championship as incentives for the best and the most promising American runners to step up to the 100-kilometer distance and to run on the road. Beyond that, USATF has made it a condition of the race that prize money and national championship awards be limited to runners who belong to the organization. And anyway, it costs just $29.95 for an annual membership. Q.    “In a short time,” Timo? Why is that? A.    IAU has for one of its stated objectives, to petition to make the 100-kilometer road race an exhibition sport at the London Olympic Games in 2012. For ultramarathoners, it’s time to start getting ready. *    For more information about IAU and international ultramarathoning, you can check out the organization’s website at www.iau.org.tw. This tells you about upcoming ultra races around the world, race results, and organizational news. **    USATF qualifying standard to make the national team: The 2007 qualifying standards are 7 hours, 20 minutes for men, and 8 hours, 40 minutes for women. Unless otherwise indicated, all content, photos and art work published on this website are copyright property ©2006-2008 of Mad City 100K and may not be republished without verifiable authorization from webmaster@madcity100k.com.