http://www.elitefeet.com/the-legend-of-cli...s-toughest-race
Being from Australia I had to include this man. Cliff Young an absoulute legend. Not just for what he initially did but for the twist after the twist he did at the end. We used to hold an ultra-marathon event yearly in Australia. A running race from Sydney to Melbourne which is 800km or 540 miles or so. In 1983 it was the first year it was held. Professional athletes sponsored by nike and other companies lined up for the race. Out of nowhere this 61yr old farmer turns up in trackpants and gumboots and everyone just thought he was a spectator or relative of one of the competitors. When he collected his race number and put it on his shirt everyone told him he wouldn't be able to complete the race. Some were fearing he was going to hurt himself. Reporters noticed this and then interviewed him asking if he was crazy. He said that he used to round up the sheep on his farm on foot and truly beleived he could complete this race. When the race started all the pro's left him behind. People were making fun of the way he ran as it was a bit like a waddle. Usually this race takes 5-6 days to complete. Usually the athletes would run for 18 hours then sleep for 6. But Cliff Young didn't sleep he ran 24 hours a day. When reporters found out he ran through the whole first night without sleep they asked him if it was a strategy. He replied " I'm going to complete this race without any sleep" Turns out he won the race and set a new record at 61 YEARS OLD!! Legend and my hero. To find out the twist after he won the race you just need to go to the site for the rest of the story. What he does after he wins truly tells you how big of a man he is.
