50K at altitude or 50 mile at sea level

All,

Hope all are well. I have not been around for a loooong time.

I am currently training for the Shiprock Marathon in May and dreaming about what to do in the fall.

Option A is the Mt Taylor 50K near my house that is run at over 9,000ft, peaking over 11,000feet of elevation.

Option B is the Fall 50 mile run near my parents house in wisconsin that is at sea level and relatively flat.

Which is harder, a 50K at high altitude or 50 mile at sea level?

Greg

It probably depends upon how well you are acclimated to the altitude. Beyond that it depends upon your training; if you train on hilly trails vs. train on flatter terrain.

I would think the 50 miler would be tougher because you're already acclimated to the thin air and it's 19 miles shorter.

But just think of all the pampering you would get at your parents' house!

The Fall 50 in Door County is all pavement, no?

That would likely be harder on your legs. But I suspect the 50K at that altitude would leave you (or anyone) sucking for air.

Both are tough. But I'd say that altitude is much tougher.

If you can train at altitude (above 8k), 50k will be "easier."

Probably prettier, too. Actually, now that I've looked at their website... Go for the 50k. You can run 50 flat miles any time you want. Much better investment of your money to get a fully supported trail course.