Ultra-Walking 100 km and Beyond: What Equipment to Go Really Far?
There is an invisible frontier in the world of sporty walking. It sits somewhere around the 60th kilometre, where the legs start to weigh, where the blisters wake, where the mind negotiates with the body. The ultra-walkers who regularly cross that frontier — 100, 120, 160, 200 km — share one thing: they have learned to make equipment choices that forgive no approximation.
Ultra-walking: definition and formats
We speak of ultra-walking as soon as the distance exceeds the marathon (42.195 km). In practice, the community considers events from 60-80 km as "ultra". The most emblematic formats start at 100 km — the Oxfam Trailwalker is the best-known example in France — and go up to multi-day Alpine crossings beyond 200 km. The specificity of these events: they are walked, sometimes coupled with phases of light running. Rhythm is fundamental, economy of movement is queen.
Poles: indispensable beyond 60 km
In trail ultras, poles are often optional on short formats. Beyond 60-80 km, they become almost universal in the pack. The reason is simple: they redistribute the muscular work between the upper and lower body, delaying the exhaustion of the lower limbs and preserving the joints over the repetition of thousands of steps.
For ultra-walkers specifically — those who hold a sustained walking rhythm without running — the poles' role is even more central. They are active at every step, over the whole duration of the event. Their quality, weight and geometry directly influence effort management over 24, 36 or 48 hours.
The pole-choice criteria for ultra-walking
- Weight: over 100 km, every gram is carried tens of thousands of times. Poles at 140 g each mean 280 g in total. Poles at 280 g mean 560 g. The difference looks minimal; over 20 hours, it is physically significant.
- Stiffness: a pole that flexes or vibrates absorbs part of the push energy and dissipates it. In an ultra, you want every push transmitted to the ground in full. High-grade carbon (T700 and above) guarantees that stiffness without compromise.
- Detachable straps: on an ultra, you refuel, you change clothes, you manage your kit. Straps that release in seconds are indispensable so as not to lose time or hurt your wrists trying to free your hands quickly.
- Versatile tips: the surfaces change constantly. Tungsten carbide tips with interchangeable rubber pads let you adapt without stopping.
- The carry bag: at an aid station, if your poles are no longer useful on a section, you must be able to stow them quickly in or on your pack.
The specific ultra-walking technique
In long-distance ultra-walking, technique must be economical above all. This is no time for grand, spectacular movements. On the flat, the pole is planted slightly behind the front foot, the push is long and relaxed, the arm opens fully to the rear. Uphill, you shorten the step, increase pole frequency, alternate or double-push depending on the steepness. Downhill, you release the straps and use the poles as shock absorbers and balance guides.
Consistency of movement is the key. Degraded technique after 60 km — arms that no longer open, a push that stops too early — creates muscular compensations that exhaust secondary muscle groups and hasten the arrival of cramps.
The MØNARC® Arcs de Marche in ultra-walking
Marie-Élisabeth Charre reports with the Arcs de Marche®: "a better push that lets you lengthen the step and go faster. The MØNARCs let you go further without waking the aches" — notably her ankle arthrodesis and shoulder problems. Which is exactly what every ultra-walker seeks: going further, for longer, while protecting the weak points.
Alain Gestin, an ultra-walker used to long distances, regularly practises with the MØNARC® Arcs de Marche. For him, these poles are an integral part of his effort strategy on events beyond 100 km.