Yiannis Kouros facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Yiannis Kouros

Yiannis Kouros in 2008
Personal information
Born	(1956-02-13) 13 February 1956 (age 69) Tripoli, Kingdom of Greece
Website	http://www.yianniskouros.gr/index.php/en/
Sport
Sport	Track 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 Adelaide 24-hour run 1997 Gold Basel 24-hour run 1998 Gold IAU 24 Hour World Championship 2001 Gold Soochow University 24-hour run 2002 Gold 24-hour run San Giovanni Lupatoto 1999 Gold 24-hour run San Giovanni Lupatoto 2000 Gold Surgères 48 Hour Race 1995 Gold Surgères 48 Hour Race 1996 Gold Surgères 48 Hour Race 1997 Gold Surgères 48 Hour Race 2000 Gold Surgères 48 Hour Race 2002 Gold Surgères 48 Hour Race 2003 Gold Surgères 48 Hour Race 2004 Gold Australian Six Day Race – Colac 1984 Gold Australian Six Day Race – Colac 2000 Gold Cliff Young Australian 6-day race 2005 Gold Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1985 Gold Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1987 Gold Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1989 Gold Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1990 Gold Athens to Sparta Run 1983 Gold Athens to Sparta Run 1984 Gold Athens to Sparta Run 1986 Gold Athens to Sparta Run 1990

Yiannis Kouros is a famous Greek runner known for his incredible endurance. He is one of the greatest ultramarathon runners in history. An ultramarathon is a race that is much longer than a regular marathon (which is about 42 kilometers or 26 miles). Kouros has set many world records in these super-long races, running distances from 100 miles up to 1,000 miles! He was born in Tripoli, Greece, on February 13, 1956.

Kouros became well-known in 1984 when he won the Spartathlon race. This race goes from Athens to Sparta in Greece, a very long distance. He finished it in a record time of 20 hours and 25 minutes. In 1985, he also won the Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon in Australia. He set a new record for that race, finishing in 5 days, 5 hours, 7 minutes, and 6 seconds. This beat the previous record held by another famous runner, Cliff Young.

For part of his running career, Kouros also held Australian citizenship. In 2019, he was honored by being added to the Australian Ultra Runners Association's Hall of Fame. Around 1990, Kouros moved to Australia for a new start. He became an Australian citizen in 1994. He stopped competing in ultramarathon races around 2014, when he was 58 years old.

Yiannis Kouros has a special secret for his success. He says, "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." This shows how strong his mental focus is during long races.

Besides running, Kouros is also a writer. He has written over 1,000 poems. Some of his poems can be found in his books, Symblegmata (which means "Clusters") and The Six-Day Run of the Century.

Amazing World Records

Yiannis Kouros holds many world records in ultramarathon running. These records were officially recognized by the International Association of Ultrarunners as of February 2013.

Long Distance Records

These records show how fast Yiannis Kouros could run over very long distances.

Time-Based Race Records

These records show how far Yiannis Kouros could run within a certain amount of time.

Learn More

• Multiday races
• Ultramarathon

External Links

• Yiannis Kouros official page: http://www.yianniskouros.com/
• Yiannis Kouros – Greek Greatness

See also

In Spanish: Yiannis Kouros para niños