This thesis explores the themes of sport, running, and ultramarathon. In the introduction, the author outlines the development of anthropological research on sport, focusing on the distinction between sport and games, and examining sport through the lens of ritual. The thesis then presents the evolution of sport within two social orders: capitalism and socialism, which, in the final third of the previous century, merged in most countries' sports policies and everyday life into the modern form of capitalism—neoliberalism. The author also discusses the positioning of sport within different social classes, drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of habitus. The work continues with an overview of the development of sport in Slovenia, followed by an exploration of running, marathon, and ultramarathon, including the connection between running and leisure time, particularly in the context of everyday life.
In the second part of the thesis, the focus shifts to specific themes that emerged as essential through the study of literature related to the anthropology of ultramarathon, as well as the experiences of two world-renowned ultrarunners, Yiannis Kouros and Dušan Mravlje. This section also includes the author's autoethnography. Key themes in this part include entry into the world of ultramarathon, external and internal perspectives on ultramarathon, ultramarathon communities, and the impact of globalisation on the development of ultramarathon.
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