彭蒙惠英语：Extreme Races for Intense Runners
Extreme Races for Intense Runners
By Rachel Sawatzky
For some ultramarathon runners, 42 km is only the beginning.
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Only fanatical runners would pay US$250 in entry fees for the chance to run 135 miles in the driest and hottest place on the planet. As if the heat isn’t forbidding enough, the demanding racecourse includes three mountain passes, a desert and an endless valley. The legendary 1 Badwater Ultramarathon starts in Death Valley, California, at 280 feet below sea level and ends three days later on Mt. Whitney at an elevation 2 of 8,360 feet.
An ultramarathon is any run that exceeds 42.195 km, the standard distance of a marathon. A variety of ultramarathon races are held around the world each year. Distances usually range from 50 km to an unbelievable 1,600 km. Races can be several hours long or take up to 10 days to complete.
Ultramarathons in Asia
One of the most challenging races in Asia is the 24-hour ultramarathon held annually 3 since 1998 at Soochow University in Taipei. Each year, race organizer Frank Kuo invites five or six elite 4 international runners to participate in the Soochow 24-hour race, leaving 16 vacancies 5 for local runners. This year, the Soochow 24-hour race will begin at 9:00 a.m. on March 5.
Keep running
The Soochow ultramarathon is unique in that its runners are confined to running around a 400-m track for a full 24 hours. Elite athletes never stop running, not even to eat. They just grab snacks and drinks “on the run.” Student volunteers are cheerleaders and lapcounters for the dedicated 6 runners who complete lap after lap around the track.
The winner of the race is the one who completes the most laps within 24 hours. In 2004, Masayuki Otaki from Japan was the victor, running 679 laps, equivalent to 271.75 km.
Vocabulary Focus
fanatical (adj) [fE5nAtikEl] showing intense devotion and strong admiration 7 for something
legendary (adj) [5ledVEndEri] extremely well known to the point of having stories told about it
elite (adj) [ei5li:t] excellent; of the highest quality
victor (n) [5viktE] the winner
Specialized 8 Terms
ultramarathon (n) 超级马拉松 a running race, usually cross-country, that is more than 42 km long
elevation (n) 海拔，高度 the height of something in relation to sea level
奔向极限
对于超级马拉松的跑者而言，42千米不过是个开始
张明绮 译
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只有酷爱跑步的跑者，会为了在地球上最干最热的地方跑上135英里，支付250美元的参赛费。如果这种热度还不够令人却步，这条严苛的跑道中还有3个山隘、一个沙漠和数不尽的山谷。这项传奇性的“恶水超级马拉松”赛事以低于海平面280英尺的加州死亡谷为起点，终点在3天路程后，海拔8360英尺高的惠特尼峰。
标准马拉松赛跑的距离是42.195千米，而超级马拉松就是超过这个距离的赛跑。每年在世界各地都有各式各样的超级马拉松赛事举行。通常全程距离从50千米，到令人难以置信的1600千米不等。比赛历时好几个小时，或多达10天才得以完成。
亚洲的超级马拉松
在亚洲地区，最富挑战性的比赛是1998年起，一年一度在台北东吴大学举行的24小时马拉松竞赛。每年，比赛筹办人郭丰州邀请5～6位国际级精英选手，前来参加东吴的24小时锦标赛，并保留16个名额给本地选手。今年，东吴24小时马拉松将于3月5日上午9:00开跑。
继续跑下去！
东吴大学超级马拉松独特之处，在于跑者被局限在400米的跑道上整整跑24个小时。精英好手中间不停，甚至也不吃东西。他们只能一面跑一面吃喝点东西。学生志愿者则为这些认真跑完一圈又一圈跑道的选手担任拉拉队与圈数计数员。
这个比赛的优胜者是24小时内跑完最多圈数的人。2004年的优胜者是来自日本的大泷雅之，他总共跑了271.75千米，相当于679圈。
- Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
- Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。
- The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。
- His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。
- Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
- They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
- The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
- We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。
- job vacancies 职位空缺
- The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
- His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。
- He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
- We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
- There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
- These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。