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Yiannis Kouros

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Yiannis Kouros
Yiannis Kouros in 2008
Personal information
Born (1956-02-13) 13 February 1956 (age 68)
Tripoli, Kingdom of Greece
Websitehttp://www.yianniskouros.gr/index.php/en/
Sport
SportTrack and Field
Event(s)24-hour run, 48-hour run, 6-day race
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)Marathon: 2:24:00
Spartathlon: 20:25:00
Medal record
Men's Ultramarathon (partial list)
Gold medal – first place Adelaide 24-hour run 1997
Gold medal – first place Basel 24-hour run 1998
Gold medal – first place IAU 24 Hour World Championship 2001
Gold medal – first place Soochow University 24-hour run 2002
Gold medal – first place 24-hour run San Giovanni Lupatoto 1999
Gold medal – first place 24-hour run San Giovanni Lupatoto 2000
Gold medal – first place Surgères 48 Hour Race 1995
Gold medal – first place Surgères 48 Hour Race 1996
Gold medal – first place Surgères 48 Hour Race 1997
Gold medal – first place Surgères 48 Hour Race 2000
Gold medal – first place Surgères 48 Hour Race 2002
Gold medal – first place Surgères 48 Hour Race 2003
Gold medal – first place Surgères 48 Hour Race 2004
Gold medal – first place Australian Six Day Race – Colac 1984
Gold medal – first place Australian Six Day Race – Colac 2000
Gold medal – first place Cliff Young Australian 6-day race 2005
Gold medal – first place Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1985
Gold medal – first place Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1987
Gold medal – first place Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1989
Gold medal – first place Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1990
Gold medal – first place Athens to Sparta Run 1983
Gold medal – first place Athens to Sparta Run 1984
Gold medal – first place Athens to Sparta Run 1986
Gold medal – first place Athens to Sparta Run 1990

Yiannis Kouros (Greek: Γιάννης Κούρος, pronounced [ʝiˈa.nis ˈku.ros]; born 13 February 1956 in Tripoli, Kingdom of Greece) is a Greek ultramarathon runner based in Greece. Kouros holds or formerly held many world records between 100 miles and 1,000 miles.[1][2][3][4] In 1991, he starred as Pheidippides in the movie The Story of the Marathon: A Hero's Journey, which chronicles the history of marathon running.

Kouros came to prominence when he won the Spartathlon in 1984 in a record time of 20 hours and 25 minutes.[5][6] He also won the Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in 1985 in a record time of 5 days, 5 hours, 7 minutes, and 6 seconds, beating the previous record held by Cliff Young.[7] Kouros held Australian citizenship for part of his running career and was inducted into the Australian Ultra Runners Association's Hall of Fame in 2019.[8]

In 1990, following a dispute with his employer in Greece, Kouros emigrated to Australia. He became an Australian citizen in 1994. It seems that twenty years later, in 2014, at the age of 58, Kouros retired from ultrarunning competition.[9]

Concerning the secret of his success, Kouros claims, "When other people get tired, they stop. I don't. I take over my body with my mind. I tell it that it's not tired, and it listens."[citation needed]

Kouros has also written over 1,000 poems, several of which appear in his books, Symblegmata ("Clusters") and The Six-Day Run of the Century.

World records

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According to the International Association of Ultrarunners, as of February 2013.

Distance

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100 miles Road 11h 46min 37s 13.665 km/h (8.491 mph)
1,000 km Track 5d 16h 17min 00s 7.338 km/h (4.560 mph)
1,000 km Road 5d 20h 13min 40s 7.131 km/h (4.431 mph)
1,000 miles Road 10d 10h 30min 36s 6.424 km/h (3.992 mph)

Time races

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12 h Road 162.543 km (101.000 mi) 13.545 km/h (8.416 mph)
24 h Road 290.221 km (180.335 mi) 12.093 km/h (7.514 mph)
24 h Track 303.506 km (188.590 mi) 12.646 km/h (7.858 mph)
48 h Road 433.095 km (269.113 mi) 9.023 km/h (5.607 mph)
48 h Track 473.495 km (294.216 mi) 9.875 km/h (6.136 mph)
6 days Road 1,028.370 km (638.999 mi) 7.142 km/h (4.438 mph)
6 days Track 1,038.851 km (645.512 mi) 7.214 km/h (4.483 mph)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "World Best Performances" (PDF). International Association of Ultrarunners. October 2012.
  2. ^ "IAU World (age) best performances" (PDF). 29 January 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  3. ^ Bedkowski, Jacek. "IAU Records". IAU – International Association of Ultrarunners. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  4. ^ Bedkowski, Jacek. "Rankings & Records". IAU – International Association of Ultrarunners. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Japan's Ryoichi Sekiya wins Spartathlon race". USA Today. AP. 26 September 2009. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Spartathlon – Athlete View Kouros Yiannis". Spartathlon Ultra Race. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  7. ^ Potter, David (18 April 1985) Melbourne's Greeks welcome their Marathon man, The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  8. ^ Kouros inducted into Australian ultra running hall of fame
  9. ^ "Yiannis Kouros - Greek Greatness | Ultrarunning History". 26 May 2024. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
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