Yiannis Kouros

Yiannis Kouros

Yiannis Kouros in 2008
Personal information
Born	(1956-02-13) 13 February 1956 (age 68) 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) Adelaide 24-hour run 1997 Basel 24-hour run 1998 IAU 24 Hour World Championship 2001 Soochow University 24-hour run 2002 24-hour run San Giovanni Lupatoto 1999 24-hour run San Giovanni Lupatoto 2000 Surgères 48 Hour Race 1995 Surgères 48 Hour Race 1996 Surgères 48 Hour Race 1997 Surgères 48 Hour Race 2000 Surgères 48 Hour Race 2002 Surgères 48 Hour Race 2003 Surgères 48 Hour Race 2004 Australian Six Day Race – Colac 1984 Australian Six Day Race – Colac 2000 Cliff Young Australian 6-day race 2005 Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1985 Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1987 Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1989 Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon 1990 Athens to Sparta Run 1983 Athens to Sparta Run 1984 Athens to Sparta Run 1986 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.