When Yiannis Kouros Speaks.....

When you look at the names of the greatest all-time runners,you must include ultra legend Yiannis Kouros on that list.

Many who consider themselves experts in the field of running continue to view ultrarunning as a fringe sport that is not particularly deep in talent when compared to say,the 10k. While that may or may not be true, the fact is,is that Yiannis Kouros holds, or has held, every ultra record from 100 miles to 1,000,as well as 12 hours to 6 days. Briefly consider this,Kouros ran 303k in 24 hours.That's over 188 miles in one day! Do a search of all his records and you will be astonished at the range of marks he has set. Still think ultrarunning is a sport slim on talent? Who cares! Yiannis' records would be remarkable whether or not there were other competitors.

Kouros is a deep thinker who expresses his thoughts articulately and has so many insights that can benefit us as runners. His documentary,Forever Running, is a must have for those who live for the run.The fact that he can't get a publisher for an English language translation of a book he wrote many years back speaks volumes of the state of running today, but, that's a story for another day.This is a quote from an interview Yiannis did years ago:
"Each horrid event should equip you with the necessary provisions so that you can confront the next one; it shouldn't make you yield. The continuous confirmation is that despair and hopelessness supply you with means--inconceivable at first, and they make you discover hidden unexpected powers."

I take much from the above quote because I need to remind myself that when the suffering comes, I must leave myself open to being aware and learning from that suffering in order to become a better runner and person from it.