"I think just the challenge of so many miles over a short period of time," she said. "The hills, the heat, the nighttime run — all of that is different than doing marathons, half-marathons or anything else."

Robinson was competing with her neighbors, while Wright was running with his co-workers, but both said one of their favorite aspects was the chance to run as a team.

"One of my favorite parts was the exchange points where we could cheer on each member of our team," Robinson said.

Running, eating, sleeping, sweating and laughing for two straight days can also do wonders for office politics.

"It's a great time to be together," Wright said. "You are teammates 24 hours a day for two days. It's a fun time to bond, a fun time to encourage everybody. It really creates camaraderie."

It is also nice to get to know some of the other groups who decided to get to know themselves and others in this very unusual way.

"We stay at North Summit High School," he said, referring to the school's fundraiser that allows teams to eat, shower and sleep in the school. "It's a really fun atmosphere, just mingling with the other teams."

E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com