Many athletes will travel from outside Pennsylvania to compete in the Glacier Ridge Trail Ultramarathons and Trail Race. Others won’t travel at all.

Of the 200-plus runners participating April 9 at Moraine State Park, nearly 30 will represent Butler County in the 30K, 50K or 50-mile events.

Among them are Charlie Beers of Renfrew, who at 18 is the youngest person scheduled to run 50 miles. His father Steve, 51, will run in the same event.

The oldest on the 50-mile roster is 62-year-old Ken Zellars, who lives in Valencia.

“In this niche sport of ultramarathoning, people are always surprised at the age demographics,” said Bob Fargo of Washington, Pa., a co-director of the races.

According to the runners, diversity also comes through in how they approach the event. Some walk much of the 50-mile distance, taking the full 14 hours to finish. Speedier competitors might finish in nine.

“I don’t run 50 miles,” explained Beers, who anticipates taking most of the allotted time due to limited training.

“I run, walk, walk, walk — then run, walk, walk, walk. I do more walking than running. Out of the 50 miles I might run a total of 20.”

“I’m just happy to finish a race in the allotted time,” agreed Zellars, who usually does 50 miles in 11 or 12 hours.

The Moraine event will mark Zellars’ ninth 50-mile ultramarathon. His accomplishments also include the Oil Creek 100-mile event last October, 12 Rachel Carson Challenge 34-mile endurance hikes and all Pittsburgh Marathons since 1992.

“Basically, it’s just getting out for long periods of time — maybe a couple days a week getting in a long run,” Zellars said of his strategy for training.

Like Zellars, most runners advise a gradual increase in duration and distance when conditioning for ultra events. But personal styles vary.

On event day, some racers will have pit crews at the three aid stations to offer support and comfort. Others, like Beers, will go it alone, relying solely on a drop bag of supplies left in advance at the third station.

On the last leg of the 50-mile race, a few will be accompanied by “pacers,” or noncompeting runners whose presence helps the runners press forward.

Clothing and dietary needs also contrast: During an informal group training run on the trail last Sunday, all varieties of trail shoes were present, including a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, designed to simulate barefoot running.

On race day, all will wear hydration packs. Slower runners will have head lamps or flashlights to help them navigate after sundown. The aid stations will include a medley of food and drink to accommodate a range of appetites.

“We have tent canopies and Coleman stoves and generators for griddles and hot plates — lots of soup and this and that,” Fargo said.

“The must haves are M&Ms, cookies, chips and pretzels because people are after the salt,” he noted, adding soup among the favorites.

“I’ve eaten a lot of chicken noodle soup in ultramarathons,” confirmed Jeff Lynn of Slippery Rock, also registered for the 50-mile race.

A seemingly unlikely running food, Lynn said the soup is easily digested while providing sodium, carbohydrates and protein.

But Lynn also has been known to eat pizza or peanut butter sandwiches.

“The thing I’ve been very happy to eat at 20 miles might be something I don’t even want to see at 40. My entire taste has changed over the course of the day,” he said.

“They have a variety of food ready for that reason. It’s not unusual to have ginger candy around for its anti-nausea properties,” he added.

With a Ph.D. in exercise physiology, Lynn works at Slippery Rock University in the Department of Exercise and Rehabilitative Sciences.

At 43, his knowledge stems partly from running close to 30 marathons and two ultras, including a 100K in the Oil Creek series.

Academically, Lynn’s research also has centered on ultra runners: measuring inputs like food and drink; evaluating outputs like urine and sweat and in some cases taking blood samples to understand how the kidneys and endocrine system work together, allowing the athletes to endure their sport.

“A lot of us want to know ‘What is the optimal formula for hydration and sodium?’” he said. “At this point, I believe there isn’t one.”

Lynn said this conclusion stems from the fact that ultra athletes tend to maintain normal electrolyte limits under extreme conditions despite their diverse habits.

“You have these normal limits of what your electrolytes should be. ... In ultramarathons we hope they don’t fluctuate very much, and indeed they don’t. The variation from person to person is enormous, but most of them stay within normal limits.”

“That’s why I say we go out and do things that aren’t very smart from a physiological standpoint, but our bodies bail us out.”

The physical stress of race day aside, Lynn said research shows running can contribute to overall health, which includes fewer joint problems than seen in more sedentary adults.

This could be one reason ultramarathoning has gained in popularity. But according to Beers, the changing terrain adds more dimension to distance runs, which come with their share of monotony.

“It’s one thing when you’re running or walking on a road. You can almost go to sleep and keep going,” Beers said.

“On the trail, it’s a different story. If you don’t (watch your step), you’ll trip over a rock, a root. You’ll end up falling down. It’s a lot of concentration — and it’s tough. We go up bigger hills than you would on the road.”

Despite that difficulty, Beers, and many others, are hooked.

“I fell in love with this. I get a real adrenaline rush in going out and doing these things,” he said.

“We’ll see how my adrenaline is on April 9.”