Certainly, it takes a special type of person to want to run for more than a few hours.
That will potentially become a little more achieveable in a race format new to the South Island.
It will also potentially test just how far the most competitive of the runners are prepared to push.
The Pigs Backyard Ultra will be held at a paddock near Whare Flat on Saturday.
It is the second backyard ultra event in New Zealand, an Auckland one having begun in 2018.
The concept is simple. Runners must complete a 6.7km lap each hour and be ready to go again on the hour, every hour. The winner is the last runner standing.
Tripp said it could go anywhere from 12 hours to 40 hours, depending how long the runners lasted.
He said the success of southern runners in the Auckland event had inspired them to get one started in Dunedin.
"The one in Auckland has done very well.
"I think it started in 2018 and generally South Islanders have done better than North Islanders. I think one year the last four standing were all from Dunedin.
We thought, if people are going up to the North Island to do this, and doing pretty well, we should have one down here."
The race format was growing in popularity around the world.
Tripp said there were "over 200, maybe 300" different events in 50 countries.
In many places, they were becoming more popular than marathons.
"It’s relatively easy to put on and it’s quite social. Everyone can do their best, but there’s only one person who’s finishing. Everyone else DNFs, which is quite an equaliser."
Entries had reached 50, which worked well under the 100-person gathering limit.
A relay had also been planned to run on the same course alongside it, although that had been cancelled.
Tripp hoped it would become an annual event.
"When you start a new event, you’ve got to develop a profile.
"That takes a wee bit of work, once it’s going it will have that. Next year we expect a lot more people and hopefully better conditions."
