938 kilometres. A solo fixed route over seven days with only three staffed checkpoints. 29,000 meters of climbing (the equivalent of scaling three Everest’s plus some change). The Hellenic Mountain Race is one of those events that pushes you to breaking point, and many times beyond it. To have the levels of brass just to turn up at the start line is a feat alone, let alone finishing the thing.
As any ultra rider will testify, not all crashes are physical. The mental anguish can hurt just as hard. To reach the top, sometimes you must hit out at the bottom. It’s okay to call it; that’s a part of realising how much further you can go. In our latest edition of the Chasing Alternative Paths series, MAAP follows Martijn van Strien as he reflects on scratching out at Hellenic and his plans as he recalibrates his future. Spoiler: He’s got a lot more riding left in him…
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