Ultra-athlete has completed 10 of 60 consecutive triathlons

Estonian ultramarathoner and triathlete Rait Ratasepp has set off on a challenge in Fuerteventura to finish 60 full-length triathlons in as many days. Ratasepp is firmly on schedule with an average time of 10:54.42 per triathlon.
The Estonian is set to pass 228 km swimming, 10,800 km on his bicycle and 2,532 km on his feet from October 5 to December 3.
He said the goal is to finish each triathlon in less than 11 hours, which would mean a total time of under 660 hours. "Similarly to my 20-time and 40-time ultra-triathlons, I intend to run all 60 marathons in less than four hours. There will certainly be many tough moments and tough days, but I would be very glad to be able to get through this without any major issues," the athlete noted.
Ratasepp's detailed preparation and training was confirmed by the first day of the challenge as he finished 10 minutes faster than in 2019, when he finished 40 triathlons in as many days. The first day's time of 10:34.12 is the best of the first ten days, but his fastest marathon came on the ninth day (3:15.02).
The athlete said his body is reacting similarly as it has in previous challenges - stress increases weight, maintains water and the the body's energy needs are great.
"The first five days have been for the body to adapt, the weight has begun to normalize from there and my pulse has gotten lower, which is an important indicator to me. On the first day, my average pulse on the bike was 131 and 140 on my feet, the respective indicators were 107 and 122 on the ninth day. This shows me that my body is working economically," Ratasepp said.
He said he has been surprised by his physical endurance and the speed with which he runs marathons. "It seems the 14,000 km I have run in the last two years are paying off," the Estonian said.
Keeping water down has been an issue, however. "It was very hot the first few days with little cloud coverage, which is why I used a lot of water. Although I thought I consumed enough, it was not enough and the fourth day was the most difficult one. Since I had already once felt this during my 10-time triathlon in 2016 when University of Tartu researchers measured my liquid balance during that challenge. So I knew right away what it was about," the ultra-athlete said.
More info and results, including the route and goals, are available on Rait Ratasepp's homepage here.

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Editor: Kristjan Kallaste