In the Jan/Feb 2008 issue of Marathon & Beyond magazine, Theresa Daus-Weber interviews legendary ultrarunner Eric Clifton in an article titled "Mr. Consistency". Clifton describes the feeling of friendliness that pervades the ultra community:

... Generally, the race directors at ultras are great people trying to give back to the sport and introduce athletes to new and interesting parts of our planet literally from pole to pole. The athletes themselves have remained centered, with very few instances of cheating or unsportsmanlike conduct. Ultrarunning remains a sport where the stars of the sport still cheer for and encourage the mid- and back-of-the-pack runners. We all start the races together, and the slower runners respect the faster ones for their speed, strength, and often, humility. The top runners respect the slower runners for their perseverance and endurance. We are all racing with each other rather than against one another.

(cf. Eric Clifton (2004-10-01), Why He Runs (2008-02-28), ...) - ^z - 2008-03-17

(correlates: Misogi Harai, Flow Like a River, Why He Runs, ...)