Ultra-runners do what most athletes either can’t do or won’t do. They spend hours every day training for competitions where very few people come to watch. It’s an introspective sport, for sure. Besides the fact that they run hundreds of miles, here are the top five reasons we love endurance runners.

American Strongman competitors are some of toughest competitors out there. ATLX spoke with the founders to learn more about the competitions and the competitors.

Earlier this year, 15-year-old Kristen De Sousa raised money for Nepal’s underprivileged children by completing a marathon on each of the seven continents

While many people wrongly assume it's just about bodybuilding, The Arnold Sports Festival held annually in Columbus, Ohio is set to highlight 50 sports in 2014 and has expanded to both Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.

The United State Association for Blind Athletes continues to provide the blind and visually impaired with opportunities to get involved in sports, from school physical fitness programs all the way to the Paralympics.

The Elev|8 Sports Institute offers high school students the chance to obtain a quality education, while learning from baseball, basketball and lacrosse coaches with professional experience. Just a year and a half old, the nine-month academy is really starting to hit its stride.

Valli Gideon instituted the first-ever indoor triathlon at the Mission Viejo YMCA. Her Husband, Chris, is a Marine. Together, they are changing lives all over the world.

You can learn just about anything on YouTube, and training information is just one search away. Coaches, athletes, trainers and folks who are knowledgeable about a particular training area are sending information out to the masses.

With the creation and slow growth of Major League Soccer, not to mention better recent showings on the world stage, American soccer is growing. But it’s still an afterthought to our more celebrated sports. Our best athletes still choose other paths. And you have to wonder if that’s ever going to change.

Dave Coligado has run nearly 40 marathons in his life … for other people. He’s a pacer, and in running to help others reach their goals, he has, along the way, reached many of his own.