What should you do if you fall while ultrarunning alone?
If you fall during a solo ultra, stay down for a few breaths and check your head, wrists, knees and ankles before you stand. Tired legs and dull reactions make late-race falls harder than they look. If you hit your head, can't bear weight or feel confused, call 911. If you're scraped but sound, clean the wounds, eat something, reassess your pace and tell your Guardian you went down, then head for the nearest exit if anything worsens.
Step by step
01Take a full minute before getting up
After hours on your feet, a fall can leave you shaky and lightheaded. Sit up slowly, drink, and look at your hands and knees. Standing too fast after a fall is how a second fall happens, especially on a steep or rocky section.
02Check for the injuries fatigue hides
Deep in a long run, pain signals get muffled. Press along your shin, wrist and collarbone. Look for swelling, a limb that won't take weight, or a headache that builds. Any of those, or blurred vision, confusion or repeated vomiting after a head strike, means call 911 and stop. Give the trail name and the last aid station, road crossing or junction you passed, and tap SOS so your Guardians see where you are.
03Clean up and protect the skin
Rinse grit out of scrapes with water from your bottle and cover them. Open wounds rub against a vest or shorts for hours on an ultra and get worse. A few gauze pads, tape and blister care weigh little and change the rest of your day. The NHS advises an urgent appointment if a wound is still dirty after cleaning, so get it looked at when you finish.
04Tell your Guardian and adjust the plan
Send a short message: where you fell, how you feel, and whether you're continuing, slowing down or bailing. Extend your Holler return time if you'll be slower, so an overdue alert only goes out if you truly stop checking in.
05Pick the nearest exit, not the planned finish
If the fall rattled you, choose the closest road crossing or aid station over the finish line. A sore knee at mile twenty can become a stranded runner at mile thirty-five, often after dark.
Related questions
Why do ultrarunners fall more late in a run?
Fatigue shortens your stride and lowers your foot lift, so roots and rocks catch you more often, and night sections add poor visibility. A strong headlamp and a slightly shorter stride on technical ground reduce trips. The trail running safety guide covers footing on rough terrain.
What does handling a mid-ultra fall look like?
Say you catch a toe at mile 22 of a 35-mile solo loop and land on a knee and both hands. You sit for a minute, drink and eat a gel, rinse and tape the knee, and walk the next half mile. It stiffens on the downhill, so you message your Guardian that you're bailing at the road crossing at mile 25 and extend your return time. They drive to the crossing and pick you up. Our answer on getting help if you're hurt ultrarunning alone covers the worse version.
Can my phone tell that I fell?
Holler's crash detection is an opt-in beta. A possible hard fall followed by stillness starts an "Are you OK?" countdown and alerts Guardians if you don't answer. Many running falls are slow tumbles it may not catch, so the stationary alert and your return time are more reliable backstops.
What if I fall at night on a long run?
Turn your headlamp to its brightest setting to check yourself and the ground, then drop it back to save battery. Put on a warm layer right away, since you cool quickly when you stop. If you're hurt and alone at night, stay on the trail rather than cutting across to a road.
Should I finish the run after a fall if I feel okay?
Maybe, but reassess at the next aid station or junction. Swelling and stiffness often show up an hour later. If you're walking differently to protect something, that's your cue to stop.
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Sources, checked September 2026: NHS: Cuts and grazes, CDC HEADS UP: Concussion signs and symptoms.
More safety answers, or see the safety guides.