Don Reichelt Just Broke Three World Long Distance Records—On A Treadmill

Don Reichelt has never been heard of unless you are into marathoning and distance running. He broke three world running records just before the first weekend in November.

Reichelt ran 65.63 miles on a manual treadmill in 12 hours and 114.24 miles on a manual treadmill in 24 hours. Reichelt ran the fastest time on a manual treadmill on that day. The records were broken in a single day.

Yes, that is correct. A day on a treadmill.

If you come across something that few have really tried before, there's a reason for that, Reichelt said. It was the most difficult thing in my life. It was worthwhile. Every second is hard.

Reichelt's record breaking attempt was sponsored by a New York City based men's activewear label, Ten Thousand, as part of the company's ongoing Feats of Strength series, a first-of-its-kind editorial series in which a different athlete tries a new record

The founder and CEO of Ten Thousand said that Don blew them all away. There are three world records in 24 hours. We are proud and honored to have helped him realize his goal.

Reichelt ran and broke the records at Life Time Fitness's 23rd Street location in Manhattan, starting at 9:00 AM Thursday, November 3 and lasting until the same time the next day.

Life Time collaborated with Don to raise money for its own Life Time Foundation, which works to improve children's health by partnering with school districts nationwide on school food and movement programs.

One of the most accomplished trail and ultra runners is Don Reichelt. Over the last few years he has recorded a number of first-place finishes, including wins at the Salt Flats Endurance Run 50K, as well as Arizona's 2020 Coldwater Rumble 20-Mile, and the Lean Horse 100-Mile.

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I talked to Don Reichelt last week about his achievement and why he did it.

You just set three world records as a runner. There is a treadmill.

I enjoy treadmill running more than others. It was on a treadmill that was self- powered. I lean into hard things and accept challenges. When I think of it, I think of a challenge in my mind to do more of it. The experience of running on an assault runner is more enjoyable than running on a treadmill.

Some people love their treadmills and some people don't. You didn't get bored. Did you?

Reichelt did. I had a strong mental strategy for the event, and practiced a lot of meditation. It's important to come up with a plan to overcome the challenge of doing one thing in one place. During my training, I did a lot of practices to be ready for the event.

Music, TV, mental games, and audiobooks are some of the strategies I use to train. Having a little mental flexibility and multiple strategies was important for my success on the world record attempt because it was a different environment than where I had trained. It was the most difficult mental thing I have ever done, and it was harder mentally than it was physically.

You've run many races. What do you think is the most important event?

The community that I have built around me during my career is what I am proudest of. I am fortunate to have people in my corner that support me. My competitive days may be over, but the community I built is for life.

You're an athlete with Ten Thousand. They should talk about their message to athletes.

Reichelt: Their clothing is the best in my opinion. I run a lot and expect quality and delivery. They don't need to put huge labels on their gear to be successful. They allow the quality of their gear to speak for them.

The athletes associated with Ten Thousand have a motto. A group of athletes are looking to improve themselves as humans and as athletes. A group of people that are inspiring.

What athletes did you look up to when you first started running, and why?

Scott Jurek is the author of the first book I ever read about ultra running. A lot of the races I have entered are because I started dreaming of them while reading his book.

Ryan Hall is one of the runners that stands out. While he was at his peak as a runner, I was getting into triathlons and running longer. It is even cooler that he is a teammate of mine on the Ten Thousand team and that he inspired me to run on a manual treadmill for 24 hours.

Read the Q&A with Stockwell.

It's a good thing.