Why do they do it? Well, the camaraderie is incredible. Much of the course is lined where runners have pitched their tents/campers/chairs and the support, sharing of food, stories and beer make it a unique event. The shortest duration is 6 hours and you’re not obliged to run more than a single loop/mile if you don’t want to.
https://unofficialnetworks.com/2024/02/15/last-skier-standin...
Pro-tip: stay clear from anyone who makes these comments. Someone sold them a philosophy and they are too financially deep into it to back down.
Financially, though, this doesn't sound that bad. One must go through quite a few pairs of shoes every year, and there's the cost of travel to such competitions. Plenty of people like to ski, and I can imagine they drop a lot more money on that.
