The Man Who Runs 100 Marathons a Year and Doesn't Call Himself a Great Runner

It started with a beer on a beach in Thailand.

That's the honest answer to how Ulrik Pihl ended up here. How a single conversation on holiday turned into something that now defines almost every day of his life, and will probably keep doing so for years to come.

We sat down with him to talk about goals, stubbornness, running in the rain, and why a man who has crossed more finish lines than almost anyone alive still doesn't call himself a great runner.

Take us back to the beginning. How does someone go from zero marathons to 1,400?

My marathon journey began back in 2006 when I was visiting Thailand for vacation in the summertime. One night on a beach, we had a bit of beer involved. I was talking to another Danish guy and we were sitting talking about what we could do to impress each other. We were talking about running a marathon, and we saw that a couple of months later there would be a marathon in Denmark, near where I was living, and we were signing up for that. So yeah, it all begins back in Thailand in 2006.

And how did that first one go?

My first marathon was a complete disaster. I was not well prepared at all. I had not run long enough. I was tired after only 10 kilometers, and it was a fight from the beginning to the finish line. I made it to the finish line, but it was not a good experience. Not at all.

And yet you came back.

I must say I'm a bit stubborn. I always knew that I was good at running — from an early age. But I wasn't always well prepared. So I was signing up quite early after the first marathon for Berlin the year after. And I remember I said to myself: you have to be well prepared for the Berlin Marathon in 2007. So I was running a lot more. And it was a good trip to Berlin. It was a good marathon. And after that, I thought, okay, I will become a marathon runner.

So you can say it was a tough beginning. But after the second marathon I thought: okay, I would like to become a runner. A marathon runner.

How did the numbers get this big?

In Denmark we have a lot of local people who organise marathons all around the country. It started around 2010. You need at least three people to run, you post it publicly on Facebook or a homepage, and then you just sign up and run. Typically it's rounds of up to 10 kilometers, usually four to six loops. And I could see that you can run a lot of marathons this way.

In 2012, I ran 75 marathons in one year. That's where it all began.

But the goal was never to reach 1,000 or whatever. It was to join Club 100, which is the list for people who have run 100 marathons. And then pretty fast I saw there was a Club 300. A world ranking list for people who have run 300 marathons. And I was very much inspired by that list. I said to myself that I want to be on that list. So that was the main goal for me.

For the last five years in a row, you've run at least 100 marathons a year. What does that actually look like?

When you run two, three marathons every week all year long, it's difficult to find time to train. But not every marathon — you know — you give yourself 100%. Sometimes you run with some good friends and you talk a lot. It's a long run, you can say, but it's also still a marathon.

There's a big difference if I run 100% in a fast time, because then I need a longer time afterwards to come back to my level. So I have to sometimes take it a little easier than I should five or ten years ago. But I'm still healthy, still fresh, and I like running. That's the most important thing for me.

You run outside, in all weather, all year. No treadmill?

No, I don't have a treadmill. In cycling we have an off and on season. But running is all season long. I run in all kinds of weather. I prefer sunny and warm. But if you want to run 100 marathons plus a year, you have to run all over the year and in all weather.

I can sometimes run on the treadmill, but not for longer than 10 kilometers. Then I will go outside to run.

What happens to you out there during those 42 kilometers?

It depends what kind of mood you are in. If I'm running alone or if I'm running with some good friends, you get through a lot of emotions, a lot of things going through your head. But for me, when I'm running, I'm running. I'm not thinking about that much else because I'm focused on the running.

Sometimes I have music in my ears that makes me run a little too fast. Sometimes we talk about all kinds of things. You get to know your friends very good when you run with them for four, four and a half hours. I've got a lot of new friends in this world because you get so close. You do this together.

But I'm not that kind of runner who's always happy running marathons. Because a lot of times it is hard, it is a long time, and if it's rained for four hours, you're not in the best mood when you come back. But I'm always proud afterwards because I've crossed the finish line. And that's the most important for me. Sometimes it's hard, and that's okay.

You've run everything from big city marathons with 25,000 people to small local runs with three friends. Is there a difference?

The distance is the same — it's 42.2 kilometers. But in a big city marathon I can sometimes get a little bit overwhelmed. Too many people around, too much noise. And sometimes it's nice to get out and see a new town or city. But I also very much like when it's just three or four guys running together.

I live in Denmark, which is quite a small country. And for me, a big goal has always been to see my country. I've run a lot of marathons all around Denmark. That means a lot to me.

You're currently at 912 marathons run under four hours. Your goal is 1,000. Why that number, under that time?

What keeps me going is the goal that I have set for myself. I would like to reach those 1,000 marathons under four hours. It's up in my head that I set the goals for myself — not for anybody. Only for Ulrik. So that's what motivates me to continue.

Under four hours is a milestone I can share with my grandson, my wife, and my family: I ran 1,000 marathons under four hours. That means something.

I'm getting older. I'm well aware that my time after the races is longer than 10 years ago. But I'm not injured. I'm feeling strong. I'm feeling positive. I'm well aware that I need my sleep and what I eat, that's important for me. But I'm in good shape. Hopefully in the next one or two years, it will be doable.

You have a specific dream about how that moment happens. Tell us.

The day I run number 1,500, I would like it to be the same day that I run the 1,000th under four hours. But yeah, it's a dream. Maybe it's not going the way I want it. But hopefully I can do it.

You're ranked 20th on the Club 300 World Ranking List, making you the youngest person in the top 20. What does that mean to you?

We are two with the same number of marathons, so we are 19th and 20th, both. But I'm the youngest on the list. The ones before me are older. Some of them have stopped running, and some of them unfortunately died. So that's also a big motivation to reach the top 10. I would be proud of that. And to be the number one Dane on the list also means a lot to me.

When you're out there, what do you find in those 42 kilometers?

A lot of enjoyment. If you run outside as we do most of the time, you see a lot of new things. For me, it's very important because I live in a small country. It's always been a big goal to see all of my country. I like seeing it in a pair of running shoes because it gives me freedom and gives me good energy.

I know it sounds funny. But generally I just like running.

After this many marathons, you probably know within the first kilometer if a shoe is right. What does that feel like with the Nostara?

I've run in a lot of shoes over the years, and with MOVV Nostara you can feel that every detail has a purpose. They feel natural, and I feel supported without feeling restricted — that's not an easy balance to get right. They help me move better and stay healthy, and after this many kilometers, that's what I actually care about.

If running stopped tomorrow, who is Ulrik without it?

I'm not a good Ulrik when I'm not running. I need the fix, if you can say that. It's important that I run.

My big dream is that on some point, it's not my body that says you cannot run anymore. That's my big dream — that I can say: now I don't want to run anymore. In many years.

Was it worth it?

One hundred percent. Running marathons gives me so much quality in my life. It's so important for me, both as a man and as Ulrik.

And you know, we have to find something here in life that we are good at. I'm not saying that I'm a good runner. But I'm a decent runner.

Ulrik Pihl teaches running and skiing at an afterskole in Aarhus — a Danish boarding school for young people who'd rather be outside than in a classroom. He has three dogs, watches old Danish movies, and does not own a treadmill.

Lars Schneider images