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‘Tis the season for exercise resolutions. For a select few, an ultramarathon—a race of 50, 100, or even more miles—may be on the table for 2026. But is there a limit to what our bodies can endure? And what makes ultramarathoners capable of these tremendous feats?
Joining Host Flora Lichtman are sports medicine expert Brandee Waite and biological anthropologist Andrew Best.
Further Reading
- Read about research on the “hard limit” of human endurance via Science.
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Segment Guests
Brandee Waite
Dr. Brandee Waite is director of sports medicine at UC Davis Health in Sacramento, California.
Andrew Best
Dr. Andrew Best is an assistant professor of biology at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Segment Transcript
The transcript is being processed. It will be available 2-3 days after this story’s publication date.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.
About Kathleen Davis
Kathleen Davis is a producer and fill-in host at Science Friday, which means she spends her weeks researching, writing, editing, and sometimes talking into a microphone. She’s always eager to talk about freshwater lakes and Coney Island diners.