Marios Giannakou is a young runner from the city of Drama in Macedonia, Greece. His extraordinary story of perseverance, as he transformed himself from a smoker into an ultra-fit runner, can serve as an inspiration to all, greekreporter.com notes in the following article:
He was the youngest finisher in one of the most difficult races in the planet, the 270-kilometer (168 mile) “Ultra Marathon”, which took place in the deserts of Dubai between December 11–15.
Giannakou wasn’t always a fit athlete who loved challenges. Weighing more than average and a regular smoker, he changed his attitude and life and started running at the age of 22.
Speaking with the Greek Reporter, Giannakou noted that he never saw running as a simple athletic competition, or a personal challenge where you try to achieve the fastest time.
”It is an activity where you are on your own. You have the time to think and solve problems for yourself,” he adds.
His ultra-long distance running adventure commenced in 2015, when he participated in several competitions in the region of Rhodopi in Greece’s Thrace. He ran distances of 82 kilometers (51 miles) and even 161 kilometers (100 miles) in separate races there.
In early 2018, he decided to run with his friend Chronis in the Arctic for the distance of 150 kilometers (93.2 miles). ”We finished together, we had the same time” he says proudly.
Asked about his decision to take part in Dubai’s Ultra-Marathon, Giannakou laughed.
”We saw the cold, now it was time to see how the desert is” he said, laughing over the extraordinary accomplishments he has attained in less than one year.
Giannakou is clear when it comes to the things which give him strength during these difficult tasks. He confronts the loneliness of running such long distances by thinking of his partner and his family, focusing at the same time on his mission to achieve what he has prepared for.
Read full story at greekreporter.com
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