Ultramarathoning is, IMO, often misunderstood. However, volunteering at an ultramarathon aid station is a great way to get exposed to the sport, since you'll get to see a wide variety of people participating, whereas if you only know one or two ultra runners you may assume everyone is like they are. UltraSignup [0] is one way to search out ultras for which you may want to volunteer.
[0] https://ultrasignup.com/events/search.aspx