Yonni Kepes ran day and night for 29 hours to achieve his dream of becoming the youngest Kiwi to race a 100-miler. Photo / Supplied
Yonni Kepes ran day and night for 29 hours to achieve his dream of becoming the youngest Kiwi to race a 100-miler. Photo / Supplied
Most of us wouldn't even consider running a full marathon but for Kiwi teenager Yonni Kepes, 42km stopped being long enough a while ago.
The 18-year-old from North Canterbury has become the youngest known New Zealander to complete a 100-mile ultramarathon (that's a whole 160km, even more impressive in the metric system).
He achieved his big feat at the Hanmer Old Forest Ultramarathon last May where he spent 29 hours running to cross the finish line and receive his long-awaited buckle.
That was the culmination of a years-long dream for Kepes, who first took up running when he was about 9 or 10 years old, just as an excuse to spend more time with his dad, Ben Kepes, who also runs ultramarathons.
"There isn't a good reason to it, but in my mind, it was an opportunity to spend more time with my dad and it was a mutual bond we held together," the teenager tells the Herald.
He ran his first half marathon at age 14 and went on to knock off his first marathon distance at the same age as well.
Yonni Kepes at the end of his 100-mile race with his brother Omri, his father Ben and his mother Viv. Photo / Supplied
"It was special to finish my first marathon, but I was convinced I could go further and eventually set my mind on ultramarathons."
He knows running ultramarathons is not exactly a popular hobby among people his age but says his school friends are incredibly supportive (even if some of them do think he's a bit mad).
For the love of ultra running, Kepes admits his social life takes a big hit.
"I still like to get out and socialise with friends, but my commitment to training means that often your weekends are consumed up with long runs in the mountains or up and down roads. Often, by the time you get home, showered and eaten, the last thing on your mind is parties or heading out with mates," he says.
Yonni Kepes racing the Arrowsmith Mountain Marathon earlier this year. Photo / Supplied
School hasn't actually suffered as Kepes says he knows where his priorities lie. He also says he's very lucky to have the support of teachers and staff at St Andrew's College in Christchurch, who know of his ultra passion and are always willing to help him out.
The teenager tries to fit his packed training schedule around school and some semblance of a social life but, being in his final year of high school, that's not always easy.
"A normal training week for me would ideally be about 80-100km's or 8-11 hours of training," he explains.
"Weekday trainings are normally all on the road and in the weekend, I like to venture out either into the mountains or on the local trails around where I live. About a month and a half out from race day, I like to do a big block of training to prep my legs for the event. These weeks normally reach about 150-160km and 15-20 hours of training and often occur during my holidays or long weekends away from school."
That kind of time commitment saw Kepes have to sacrifice other hobbies, including swimming, playing the trumpet and playing hockey. He still finds the time to be a volunteer firefighter and is also Youth Council chairman.
Yonni is proud to have earned his first 100-mile belt buckle. Photo / Supplied
He knows ultra running isn't for everyone and most people tell him he's "straight up crazy" and he doesn't even disagree.
"But it's nice to stand out from the crowd and do something a bit different," he says. "The support from my schoolmates has been incredible and it is really something quite special. The comments of support in person and online from my mates are greatly appreciated and they really do motivate me."
So how does one run 100 miles through a forest?
It's actually pretty easy: if you're Kepes, you put one foot in front of another, over and over again, for about 29 hours and then you're done and you get to sit down again.
"You go through highs and lows very often {during the race]," he says.
"At one point you'll be feeling great and then two hours later you'll be ready to quit and feeling awful. The early morning was the worst part for me because I really wanted the sun to rise and I couldn't work out why it wasn't ... After running for 24 hours you're a little messed up."
Through all those hours, there were a few things that kept him going.
His father, the man responsible for instilling this passion in him, was out running the same race so the boy knew he wasn't suffering alone.
"Having my mum and brother crew dad and I meant a lot and the support from friends who came and paced us was amazing!"
"In my mind, there were two motivators that got me to the finish – my dad and the thought of that buckle. Dad's advice and motivation really meant a lot and it helped me to get over the tough moments during the night," he said.
Kepes knows the idea of putting your body through so much just to get a belt buckle might sound silly to some people but it was always a dream of his.
"To an ultramarathoner, the buckle is something that represents grit, perseverance, hours of training, commitment and courage," he explains.
"The idea of being the youngest known person in New Zealand to receive a 100-mile buckle really pushed me to put one step in front of the other and keep moving forward."
He's the proud owner of a 100-miler belt buckle now and the youngest known Kiwi to earn one through his own perseverance and grit - but Kepes isn't slowing down any time soon.
In fact, quite the opposite: "The plan is to cut back on mileage over winter and do some speed work. I'd like to have a crack at something slightly different and I'm aiming to run a fast half marathon and 10kms in spring."
