At spirit, ultrarunning is the polar opposite of tri- laid back, get it done fast or slow, have a beer after (or during...), most importantly, stop and help others, thank volunteers midrace, etc. That has been my experience thus far.

But money's seeping into the sport through sponsorships and purses, so let's not be naive - cheating is probably already happening (haven't seen it firsthand so I can't say it definitively), and it's to the point that influential voices in the sport are trying to figure out what to do about it.

[0] http://www.irunfar.com/2015/12/doping-and-the-effect-on-ultr... [1] http://running.competitor.com/2015/12/news/ultrarunning-at-a...

(I can't find the fairly provocative piece from mid-2015 nor can I remember who wrote it, help anyone?)