After viewing photographer Tom Sperduto’s photo series “100 Miles later” we were, to say the least, a bit intrigued…. we dropped him a line to find out more about his inspiration behind the series……..<\/p>\n
How did the project come about?<\/p>\n
I had completed a marathon and I began wrapping my head around the idea of running an ultra marathon. I learned that their were runners who complete 100 mile runs. I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea. It didn’t sound possible. I photographed the\u00a0Massanutten\u00a0Mountain Trails\u00a0100\u00a0Mile run.\u00a0I stayed awake shooting pictures for 36 hours while many of the runners stayed awake running that entire time. I was exhausted but I was exhilarated. I was truly moved by the perseverance of these amazing runners running on such steep and difficult terrain for 100 miles. I remember looking into the eyes of each and every runner who crossed the finish line. I saw something in each one of them that moved me deeply. It may sound corny to some but I found the experience to be very spiritual. \u00a0I knew two things. One – I had to shoot portraits of 100 mile runners before the race and a portraits less than five minutes after they finish to see if I can capture that “look” in pictures. Two – I had to run 100 miles and know that feeling. I have since run several 100 mile races including the Midwest Grand Slam (four 100 mile races in three months) and even completed the Brazil 135 Mile Ultra Marathon. A race equivalent to running up and down Mt. Everest.<\/p>\n
Do you personally know the subjects?<\/p>\n
At time I did not. Today, I consider many of them my closest friends. Ultra Marathon runners is an amazing community. It’s much like a big family. Thanks to social media it’s easy to stay connected and constantly be inspired by the achievements and challenges of your ultra running family.<\/p>\n
Is this part of an ongoing project?<\/p>\n
I hope to continue the project but I have stepped back from it for awhile. I feel like I have seen what I was hoping to see and its led to me accomplishing some amazing dreams. I’m excited to see what’s next.<\/p>\n