Any Ultrarunners out there? Yiannis Korous runs 254km in Day 1 of 6 day race

There's a cam of the race on now.

http://sixdayrace.org.au/colac/index.php

ultrunr wrote:

man, he isnt juiced, the guy has won the spartathalon several times, you guys think that leadville and western statss are so hard, look up the spartathalon.

quote]ultrunr wrote:

man, he isnt juiced, the guy has won the spartathalon several times, you guys think that leadville and western statss are so hard, look up the spartathalon.[/quote]

Historical note:

Pheidippides, a Greek runner/messenger was ordered to run from Athens to Sparta in 490BC to seek reinforcements against the invading Persians,

The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the runner set off early in the morning, on the last Friday in September, from the Acropolis in Athens and arrived “the following day” in Sparta, 153 miles distant.

Following his run Pheidippides fought in the Battle of Marathon and against all the odds, the Athenians defeated the Persians.

This was to be a defining moment in the history of the Ancient World. After the battle he ran from Marathon back to Athens to bring the good news “Victory is ours”. He then collapsed and died from his exertions.

Pheidippides is best remembered for this final run, from which the modern day marathon event has evolved and subsequently become such a world-wide phenomenon.

That of course is another story – what's less well known is about his pre-battle journey from Athens to Sparta.

Incidentally, had the Ancient Greeks, heavily outnumbered, lost to the Persians in that and later battles, the subsequent history of our western civilisation (including the USA) would have been considerably altered - for the worse.

We owe an awful lot to those tiny band of heroes.

Sorry, cocked up first meesage.

JustPete wrote:Also he is very artistic, historical and natural, ....

what the hell does THAT mean? I love when fans like to attach all of these other mystical qualitites to great athletes.

Look, the guy is a freak of nature, plain and simple. He runs, and he doesn't get tired. Didn't they test him and find that he burns almost all fat on these runs, and thus never runs out of fuel? Whatever the case may be, I guarantee you he would be just as good if he was not "very artistic, historical and natural," and instead didn't have an artistic bone in his body nor knew an ounce of history.

It's the genes baby.

I was just trying to show that he wouldn't use juice, re his art etc

Also I don't think genes have a major part to play at all, especially after about 48hrs, then it's 95% in ya head !! also at this stage he's not going fast so anybody could just fat burn their way to a WR?

He just went thru 96hrs(4 days) 738.8km, so needs just under 150km on each of the final two days for a WR, will be close?

Good enough for our stamp of approval!

Just finished 5th day Kouros

Day 1 254.4km

Day 2 178

Day 3 158.4

Day 4 148

Day 5 156.4 (total 895.2)

It looked like he was falling off WR pace a little but a nice new morning dawned and he ran well at the finish of day five (12pm) and going into the last day he needs about 133km or more for a WR

He just cracked 1000k with over 6hrs left

Now that's the definition of an ultra runner. I'd like to see Scott Jurek race this man!

The last day sounds pretty awesome

there was a big storm at 3am and a tree fell over the track so the runners had to run a little further for a while.

Kouros was looking really good until he hit the 1000k and although he only needed to avg about 6km/hr he did a 3.2km for one hour but then he improved and with a lot of local support and chanting his name be had a great last two hours and I think (unofficially) he ran 10km in the last hour.

He did it

1036.8km !! about 644 miles

check out the website for final numbers

www.sixdayrace.org.au

Just a comment -- i saw the first post, do you guys know anything about the 99 year old record? How often are 6-day races competed? That\'s a hell of a record...

great running :)

Only 11 people have ever run 600 miles or more in 6-days. Back in the 19th Century the sport was quite popular and in the Predestrian era, hence only five people have run 600 miles or more since the turn of the 20th Century, even with the aid of technology, science, nutrition etc etc

There a quite a few annual 6-day races but generally only in a few of the bigger places e.g NY, Germany, Sth Africa etc

For a basic account go to

http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/us/ultras/6and10day/background

it's short and sweet

Freaking incredible!

For the guy asking about how often 6-day events are contested--not exactly sure about the last couple of years, but generally there seem to have been maybe a couple of competitions worldwide annually (although there may be more I never saw results for). There used to be a great site for those following ultras,

http://www.ultramarathonworld.com

, but I don't think it's operational any more. Sri Chimnoy seems to put on most of the serious events over 48 hrs in the US, such as 6 day and 10 day events.

A fascinating part of running's history was the great "pedestrian" races. I think they took place in late 1800's/early 1900's. Sometime like that. They started off having these 6 day walking contests that people would bet heavily on. Naturally, since there was money to be made for the top athletes, things got more and more competitive, and the top guys started running part of the time. Winning totals for 6 day races (it was 6 days I think because that was considered the standard work week, with "the Lord's day" off) climbing from 300+ miles on up to 500+, until eventually one of those oldtimers got the total over the landmark 600 miles. Anyway, eventually the pedestrian craze died out, but was revived a bit by the modern ultra movement, and Kouros and some other runners have been able to match and exceed those incredible runners from way back when. You should read about those old guys sometime--it's a fascinating story. Apparently, since it was before professional sports had really become established, some of the guys participating were really some of the top athletes of the era, which explains why their results were so impressive. When the 6 day event was revived in modern times, a lot of people supposedly doubted the totals put up by the oldtimers, but from what I've read it seems likely that the totals were legit, and Kouros and others have proven that it was possible.

Amazing stuff. I'm not personally really into having "heroes", but Kouros is about as close as I get. I mean, I love El G and Geb and Tergat and all these guys, but I sort of feel like I can comprehend what they do, and if I had their physical make-up, I could maybe get close to what they do. But someone like Kouros, I just don't think I could ever do what he does. I've done probably a few dozen ultras ranging up to 100 miles, and I still find him incomprehensible. His 24 hour record is sick--303 km--nobody else even close. And I love the way he did this 6 day record so long after he appeared on the ultra scene. The guy is truly one of a kind.

Thanks to the guy who started this thread! This would have slipped under my radar.

Check out the Aussie running forum

http://www.coolrunning.com.au/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=20&t=000355&p=4#000116

this has a great account of the race from Rudolf on page 4, like being their and helping Kouros

Kouros is THE MAN. Not a bad marathoner in his day (2:24) but to get the 6D WR at 49 y.o, 20 years after setting it previously. Ridiculous. Definitley like to see some young talented 2:20 guys go after that one. Lots o' Luck!!!

Rudolf's account is an awesome look at the inner struggle that exists between mind and body in these events. Sure marathoneres suffer, but not like this. NO athlete ever has exerted his or her will on a a sport like Kourous has. All the more impressive because it ain't about the money.

Love or Money? Love. Finding Limits.

He is running in the 72hr Across The Years Arizona race at the end of this month, his goal is 350 mile, I think he will run 370 in the 3 days if weather okish