Lithuanian runner missed the chance to break the 24-hour running record
The 24-hour tournament takes place in Vilnius, the largest city and capital of Lithuania, from 12:00 on September 16 to 12:00 on September 17. The race has a 1,874-meter circuit certified by the International Ultrarunners Union (IAU) - the unit that manages ultra-long running competitions, races longer than the 42.2 km marathon distance.
Sorokin entered this year's race with the goal of surpassing the 200 mile (322 km) mark in 24 hours. To do this, the Lithuanian runner must run at a pace of 4:28, which means running each kilometer in 4 minutes and 28 seconds, without stopping for a day.
However, Sorokin soon gave up after only half a day. He stopped competing when he ran 165.21km in 12 hours, 12 minutes and 7 seconds with a pace of 4:26. Runner Lithuania posted this achievement on social networks with the message: "Tried to run 24 hours, but did not finish. My body did not allow me to continue running. Sorry everyone."
Sorokin once admitted that he could not escape the pain in an interview with the New York Times in September 2022. "There is only one word to describe the last hours of the race: torture. Time seemed to pass more slowly, the loops seemed longer," the runner born in 1981 said at the time.
The world record for running distance in 24 hours currently belongs to Sorokin himself, when he won the 2022 IAU 24-Hour European Championships, held in Verona, Italy on September 17-18, 2022. He crossed the finish line with 319.614 km in 24 hours, reaching a pace of 4:30. The Lithuanian ultra marathoner thereby broke the world record for distance run in 24 hours - with 309.4 km set by himself in 2021.
Sorokin, born September 30, 1981, was a kayaker in his youth, but gave up this sport at the age of 25 after a shoulder injury. He worked as a general laborer for a while, then smoked, drank and gained weight, before deciding to change his lifestyle and start jogging at the age of 31.
"I started running to get back in shape when my weight reached 100 kg. At that time I didn't play any sports, just drank and smoked," Sorokin once told Running Magazine. "With running, you can do more than you think."
After finding a new passion, Sorokin progressed rapidly, gradually becoming a superstar in the ultra marathon world. Before the two fastest 100km running records, this runner also holds several other world records, including running 100 miles (161 km) in 10 hours 51 minutes 39 seconds, and longest run in 12 hours with 177.414 km .
