In my opinion, long distance running is one of the hardest sports in the world. Not only because of the requirements for the body but also because it is so easy to just give up in every step you take. And you take a lot of steps...

Gediminas Grinius - Ultra Runner

Personally, for me, Gediminas's story is very inspiring and I must admit I shed a few tears (of joy) preparing this post for you :) Gediminas started running about 11-12 years ago after he came back from war and had problems with PTSD.

Only 7 years after his first half marathon in Vilnius he finished in the 3rd place of newly formed Ultra-Trail World Tour (which includes the most popular trail running races of at least 100km). A year later in 2015, he finished in the second place. And in 2016 he finally achieved his goal and became a champion!

Gediminas talks about his experience in war, PTSD and how running saved his life.
Ultra-Trail World Tour highlights 2016

Since 2017 Gediminas started spending more time with his family and focused on coaching. But he still finished in the top 20 in 2017 and top 10 in 2018 and has his eyes set on a few races where he wants to set new records.