If you have met many of the elite ultrarunners, you would have no worries whatsoever about whether any such games would affect them, even if they received lucrative (and deserving) windfalls and accolades. Most are humble and self-effacing when met with the praise they receive now. Let’s worry more about how ultras are perceived by others, even mainstream running magazines, which still treat ultrarunning as a lunatic fringe. If the brethren of the running community cannot give ultras their just desserts, what chance will the rest of the world give it?
Then again, curling is wildly popular when given the right framing. Perhaps an ultramarathon has a darn good chance of succeeding in the Olympics. It cannot be as bad as rhythmic gymnastics—that is for sure.
