Crew

Your personal support team at an ultra — friends or family who meet you at aid stations with food, gear, and encouragement.

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Understanding Crew

In ultrarunning, your crew is your personal support team — friends, family, or fellow runners who meet you at designated crew-access aid stations to provide food, clothing changes, emotional support, and logistical assistance. A good crew can make the difference between finishing and dropping out of a 100-mile race.

Crew responsibilities go far beyond handing over a sandwich. They track your progress against cutoff times, have your drop bags organized and ready, anticipate your needs (warm layers before nightfall, fresh shoes when yours are soaked, caffeine when energy drops), and make real-time decisions about pacing and nutrition when you're too fatigued to think clearly.

Not all ultras allow crews — shorter races (50K) rarely do, and some 100-milers restrict crew access to specific aid stations. Check race rules carefully. When recruiting crew members, choose people who are patient, organized, positive under pressure, and willing to sit in a car at 3 AM waiting for you to stumble into an aid station. Crewing is an act of love.

Key Facts: Crew

Key facts and insights about crew that every endurance athlete should know.

Crew access is typically restricted to s

Crew access is typically restricted to specific aid stations (not all checkpoints)

Most common in 100K and 100-mile ultras;

Most common in 100K and 100-mile ultras; less common in shorter races

Crew cannot pace alongside the runner un

Crew cannot pace alongside the runner unless in a designated pacer section

Crew are not allowed to assist on the ac

Crew are not allowed to assist on the actual course — only at designated crew points

Pro Tips: Crew

Create a written crew plan: what you need at each station, nutrition schedule, gear layout

Pack crew bins by aid station — each labeled container has exactly what's needed at that stop

Brief your crew on "if/then" scenarios: "If I say I want to drop, make me sit and eat for 10 minutes first"

Include a crew captain who makes decisions when your judgment is impaired by sleep deprivation

Frequently Asked Questions About Crew

For a 50K, no — aid stations handle everything. For a 50-miler, helpful but not essential. For a 100-miler, strongly recommended. Your ability to get custom food, fresh gear, and emotional support at 3 AM when you're hallucinating from sleep deprivation is game-changing. Many first-time 100-milers with good crews finish; many without crews drop.

Post on the race's Facebook group or online forum — many experienced ultra runners volunteer to crew for strangers, especially at iconic races. Local running clubs sometimes organize crew-sharing. You can also go crew-less and rely on well-packed drop bags at every crew-access aid station.