Ultra-distance cycling is the riding of any bike race or route longer than a century ride, which is 100 miles (160Â km). However, such events are relatively common, so using a longer distance to define the category may be more useful, such as any race or ride that is longer than 200 kilometres (120Â mi), 300 kilometres (190Â mi) or even a double century, 200 miles (320Â km). The definition of ultra-distance cycling is far more vague and controversial than in ultra running (any race longer than a marathon) or in ultra-triathlon (any race longer than an Ironman Triathlon).
Bike events that cover these distances but which are split into stages do not fit most definitions of ultra-distance races – the clock needs to run continuously from start to finish. Even so, extra-long stages within a longer race may be long enough to be an ultra-distance race by themselves. In addition, any team events in which individual cyclists do not complete the full distance are not considered to be ultra-distance.