Running has become the preferred exercise for more and more people, and marathon events are being held more frequently. In 2015, ChinaExtreme runner Chen Penbin ran 100 marathons in 100 days, achieving an incredible running feat. This also redefined our understanding of the perseverance of extreme runners.

However, on August 6, a 44-year-old ultra-marathon runner from India, Sameer Singh, completed an even more astonishing challenge—running 100 kilometers every day for 100 consecutive days! The total running distance accumulated to 10,000 kilometers.During the more than three months, Sameer never took a break, running 100 kilometers every single day.

At 36, he completed his first marathon

In 1972,Sameer was born in a small village in India. He loved running from a young age, but it wasn't until 2004 that he realized running was considered a sport. At that time, he was working for a research firm, and the company conducted a survey on the Mumbai Marathon, which was the first time Sameer learned what a marathon was.

At the age of 35, Sameer began to train for running in a planned manner. In 2008, he finally participated in the Mumbai Marathon, but his finishing time was quite average. During the race, he encountered Kenyan runners, who were previously just legends to him, and this greatly inspired him. He hoped that through training, he could become an athlete like them.

However, things did not go as planned. Despite Sameer's hard training, his progress was not significant. Sameer realized that starting training so late made it impossible to catch up with them in the marathon.

If you're going to do something, do something big

Since his marathon results were not great,Sameerthought,would running ultra-marathons make a difference? So, he began to train for long-distance running. Over time, his talent for ultra-long-distance running began to emerge. In just two years, Sameer started to make a name for himself in India's well-known ultra-marathons, winning several championships.

After achieving some success, Sameer began to wonder if he could complete some special running challenges. Ideas like 25X25, 50X50, and 75X75 started to form in his mind. When he shared these thoughts with his friends, he was met with ridicule.

So, Sameer decided to go all out and do something big. He straightforwardly set his challenge plan—running 100 kilometers every day for 100 consecutive days.

100 consecutive days, maintaining the same routine

During the challenge, Sameer's daily schedule and running time were relatively fixed. Out of the 24 hours in a day, he spent 11 hours running, a level of intensity unimaginable to most people.

4am-5am - Wake up, pray, replenish carbs, warm-up

5am-1pm - Running time, usually covering 60-75 kilometers

1pm-3pm - Lunch, rest, shower

4pm-5pm - Relax, warm-up again

5pm-8pm - Running time, covering the remaining 25-40 kilometers

No support team, even the running watch was a gift

After more than a year of preparation, Sameer began this unprecedented challenge on April 29. Two of his former clients provided him with some financial support and even gave him a professional running watch.

During his runs, Sameer had no support team and no fixed running route. In the first few days of the challenge, he even ran barefoot. However, due to the high ground temperature, his feet couldn't take it for long, so he started running in socks and later switched to running shoes.

Running 100 kilometers every day was indeed very tough. Not only did his body endure immense pain, but his spirit also suffered greatly. Whenever he felt extreme pain, he would turn to running on the beach, which alleviated some of his discomfort. Running on Mumbai's streets, with their often uneven surfaces, left him with little energy to change his pace to avoid or jump over obstacles in the later stages.

Sameer's remarkable challenge gradually gained more attention. A local running organization, The Faith Runner, promoted his story on social media. As Sameer reached the halfway point of his challenge, he received increasing support from people.

Reminder to fellow runners: don't try this at home

Sameer's challenge is undoubtedly unprecedented and may inspire a wave of self-challenges.However, I must remind all fellow runners that if you don't have a solid foundation in long-distance running training, don't recklessly attempt such ultra-long-distance and high-intensity running goals.

After all, only a few people can take on such continuous long-distance running challenges. Moreover, ultra-long-distance running can cause injuries or physical issues to some extent. For the vast majority of runners, running healthily is far more important than the glory of challenging the limits.