By Tarrin van Niekerk
This post is dedicated to the runners who’ve taken on a Misogi Challenge. Your courage, curiosity, and confidence are inspiring.
Not every runner who signs up for an ultra will feel, or even be, fully prepared come race day. Some underestimate the magnitude of the goal and struggle to put in the minimum training hours required to successfully finish their goal race. For others, training doesn’t go to plan. Injury, illness, or shifting priorities can derail even the best-planned season.
When preparation doesn’t go to plan, most start doubting their readiness, wondering if they should downgrade, delay or change course until they’ve had more time to prepare. That’s often the smart, responsible thing to do, and what most coaches probably would (and should) advise.
But it’s also why I see so many runners miss out on, or give up on, their dreams of racing big, scary events (especially that first ultra). Instead of taking a chance, we fall into the readiness trap – over-rationalising and postponing goals under the banner of “being smart,” when in reality, we’re subconsciously avoiding the deeper discomfort that leads to growth.
But what if we reframed how we approach those big, scary goals? Let me propose a different way of thinking: something called a Misogi Challenge. I first came across it in Michael Easter’s book The Comfort Crisis and realised how naturally the idea fits with ultra-trail running.
What is a Misogi Challenge?
The word Misogi originates from an ancient Japanese Shinto purification ritual. In a modern sense, it’s been reinterpreted as a transformational challenge – something so difficult, uncomfortable, and uncertain that it pushes you far beyond your known limits.
Isn’t that one of the biggest reasons most of us are drawn towards ultrarunning?
Why Runners are drawn to Misogi
A true misogi is something you have about a 50/50 chance of finishing. Not impossible, but far from guaranteed. Not reckless, but way outside your comfort zone. The goal isn’t to win or impress anyone. It’s to strip away fear, ego, and limitation and find out who you are, and what you’re capable of when you venture into the unknown with courage and curiosity.
Where Misogi meets Ultra Running
Taking on an event that’s above your current ability, preparation, or experience is, in many ways, a modern-day misogi.
- It’s a journey, not a race. The outcome isn’t the medal or the time. It’s the process: showing up, adapting, suffering well, problem-solving, and refusing to quit easily.
- It will reveal your true nature. When you’re stripped of comfort and certainty, you meet your most honest self, the one who decides whether to keep moving forward when logic, pain, and discomfort say stop.
- It purifies your relationship with running. Stripping away ego and expectation until only the essence remains. It shifts the focus from proving something to experiencing something, reconnecting you with running as a deeply human act of exploration and endurance.
- It expands your identity. Regardless of the outcome, whether you succeed or fail, you leave changed because you discovered new depths of grit and resilience.
How a Misogi Challenge transforms you
Let’s be clear, a misogi isn’t about recklessness or ignoring your body. It’s not an excuse for under-preparation either. It’s about choosing courage over certainty. You still prepare as best you can, respect the distance, and accept that finishing might not be guaranteed, and that’s exactly the point.
Why Courage matters more than readiness
During my years of coaching, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing ordinary humans do extraordinary things because they intuitively understand the spirit of a misogi. Over time, I’ve learnt not to underestimate them, because they’re willingly diving into the deep end trusting they’ll learn to swim as soon as they hit the water.
And when they do, it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
Sometimes, doing something you’re not fully prepared for is the only way to discover what you’re truly capable of.
What’s your Misogi Challenge for the year ahead?
FAQs
Q1: What is a Misogi Challenge in running?
A Misogi Challenge in running is a deeply personal endurance test designed to push you beyond comfort and certainty. It’s about growth, not performance, and discovering who you become in the process.
Q2: How can I create my own Misogi Challenge?
Start by choosing a goal that feels nearly impossible. Something with about a 50/50 chance of success. Train smart, respect the distance, and approach it as a journey of self-discovery, not a competition.
Q3: Why is the Misogi Challenge important for ultra runners?
Ultra runners are naturally drawn to discomfort and growth. A Misogi Challenge helps them strengthen mental endurance, reconnect with purpose, and rediscover the joy of running beyond results.
Q4: Is a Misogi Challenge safe to attempt?
Yes, as long as it’s done responsibly. The challenge isn’t about recklessness but about courage and curiosity. Pushing limits while still respecting your body and preparation.
Q5: What mindset do I need for a Misogi Challenge?
You need curiosity, humility, and courage. The goal isn’t perfection or certainty; it’s to embrace the unknown and learn who you truly are through the process.