Running Away From the Taskscape: Ultramarathon as 'Dark Ecology'

CHERRINGTON, James, BLACK, Jack and TILLER, Nicholas (2023). Running Away From the Taskscape: Ultramarathon as 'Dark Ecology'. In: MELO, Ricardo, VAN RHEENEN, Derek and GAMMON, Sean, (eds.) Nature Sports: Concepts and Practice. Routledge.

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Abstract

Drawing on reflections from a collaborative autoethnography, this article argues that ultramarathon running is defied by a 'dark' ecological sensibility (Morton 2007, 2010, 2016), characterised by moments of pain, disgust, and the macabre. In contrast to existing accounts, we problematise the notion that runners 'use' nature for escape and/or competition, while questioning the aesthetic-causal relationships often evinced within these accounts. With specific reference to the discursive, embodied, spatial and temporal aspects of the sport, we explore the way in which participants begin to appreciate the immense power of nature, while being humbled by the fragile and unstable foundations of human experience. Accordingly this article contributes novel insights into the humannature complex that seek to move beyond Romantic analyses towards a more sophisticated understanding of the relationships between (nature) sport, people and place.

Item Type:	Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humanities Research Centre; Sociology, Politics and Policy Research Group; Cultural Communication and Computing Research Institute; Centre for Sport and Exercise Science; Sport Industry Research Centre
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Elements
Depositing User:	Symplectic Elements
Date Deposited:	19 Sep 2023 15:27
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2023 15:22
URI:	https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/32415

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