Injuries and illnesses sustained during the eco‐challenge ultra‐endurance competition

The purpose of this study was to develop an epidemiological profile of the injuries and illnesses sustained by the 1995 Eco‐Challenge competitors using a 129 item questionnaire survey. The Eco‐Challenge is a new ultra‐endurance, multi‐sport race requiring 7–10 days to complete. The first U.S. competition took place in Utah covering a total of 376 miles with 7 diverse events including horseback riding and canoeing. Sixty‐two percent (N =155) of the questionnaires were returned. Only 42.0% of the athletes (21 of 50 teams) completed the race. Injuries, reported as the most common basis for competitor drop‐out, included blisters, ankle sprains, as well as a variety of knee and shoulder problems. Athletes also reported significant dehydration (41.2%), GI distress (32.9%), and sleep deprivation. It was concluded that such ultra‐endurance competition produces an unprecedented failure rate with significant clinical risk. Study results should be used for better planning and clinical management of ultra‐endurance races, as well as for designing an injury prevention training program for such endeavor.