This is a 5 minute Q & A session with an ultra runner Wojciech Rzadkosz. This article will help you understand the needs and wants of a runner who runs for more than twenty fours at a time. If you looking at going beyond a marathon here is some insight for you.

There are also some comments on his view of the Suunto 9 watch before I reviewed it as it is suitable for use on an ultra run.

Thanks to Wojciech for his expert advice and sharing his wants and needs with whichwearable.co.uk.

You can check out Wojciech’s running profiles at :

Itra (International Trail runners Association)  and Strava.

ww : What distances do you run in Ultra running?

Woj : Over the last three years I’ve completed ultra running events between 50km to 115km

ww : What terrain do you go over?

Woj : Mountains, fells. In the UK I have gone to the Lake District, Brecon Beacons and the Surrey Hills.

ww : What gadgets do you typically use?

Woj: I am quite minimalistic when it comes to gadgets. My Garmin Fenix 3 (Battery life from Garmin of up to 20 hours with GPS on and 6 weeks if you just use the watch) has been essential for all my running ventures so far.

ww : What’s the longest duration of an event for you?

Woj : The longest event I’ve run was 26 hours on Madeira island.

ww :  From 1 to 5 what are the top “Must have” features for a running watch?

Woj : I will assume time and date goes without saying, apart from those :

1. Reliability, shock and water resistant as well as no software errors or  frozen screens.

2. GPS accuracy.

3. 15 hours battery life and on-wrist charging.

4. Bluetooth connectivity (I like when I can read my messages on my watch while I run, e.g. updates on how my mates are progressing in the race, support from family and friends, etc.)

5. Style. I wear my Garmin 24/7, I like it fits the smart-casual office style.

ww : If battery life is one of those 5 what is your target battery life for you? Do Ultra runners really charge watches whilst they are running?

Woj : I am happy if my watch lasts 15 hours, if my event is longer than this I carry a small battery pack which I use to recharge my watch at some point in the race. I saw lots of runners doing the same.

ww :  What do you think of the Suunto 9’s modes?

Woj : The endurance mode looks good on paper, though I’ve never used Suunto so I really have no opinion.

ww: What’s your current watch and why do you use it?

Woj : I currently use Garmin Fenix 3 (No wrist Heart Rate version). I like it because it has never let me down on a race or training and its battery life is decent. Combined with the *on-wrist charging it means I can record any-size event. It’s also a very practical and stylish watch.

* Note : “On wrist charging” is the ability to connect the charging cable under your wrist to the watch whilst running and connect the other end to a USB battery which would be stored in your clothing. if the connection is uncomfortable on the wrist then the watch cannot be used for Ultra running. The alternative is to get a watch with a battery life that lasts the length of the run.

Woj view on the Suunto 9 without testing it.

Woj : “39 hours and 145 hours in the Endurance and Ultra mode respectively sound impressive although I am highly sceptical that either the actual battery time in practice  is not as good as Suunto say or the quality of GPS trace in those modes is so poor that it forces even the ultras onto the performance mode. 24 hours would still be great if the watch could actually last that long (my Garmin Fenix 3 (no HR) lasts about 15 hours while Garmin quote “up to 20 hours” in the  specification.

ww : The Suunto 9 achieved 37 hours in the Endurance mode and 57 hours (Up to 145 hours advertised) in the Ultra mode which met with Woj’s needs. GPS quality was good in the Endurance mode. Suunto mentioned that it may be better to stay in Performance mode (Battery life in excess of 24 hours) if the GPS trace was very important for you. Wojciech did raise the important issue of checking the clock time during an event. The Suunto 9 has to be customised with the custom menu to do this.