Thank you for visiting roypIrRUNg.com - here, you can view many of Ultra Marathon runner Roy Pirrung's running achievements. View the hundred's of races Roy has run through his career, including his race stats that feature many long-distance running records. Also, learn more about Roy's talent as a Motivational Speaker.
Not everyone has the words in their name that best describes what they love to do. For me, I didn’t realize it until after I began to write articles for magazines and running club newsletters.
One day I was tinkering on my word processor and out it popped, I RUN, cleverly hidden, yet once seen very obvious, in my last name. I played with it and finally decided on the current form, pIrRUNg.
I didn’t always run and I didn’t start to run because I saw it in my name. I ran for completely different reasons. Those reasons were leading me to an early grave and I realized I needed to make lifestyle changes before it was too late.
I read a magazine article that pointed out the things that you are doing in the years from 30 to 39 were the things you would be doing the rest of your life. That sure was a scary thought!
The more I thought about it, the more I realized the things I was doing were going to kill me by the time I was 39. Those things included being a two-pack-a-day smoker, someone who ate uncontrollably and a binge drinker.
The day this all sunk in was my 32nd birthday. That was the day I found the answer I was looking for. Actually, that was the day I put into practice the thing that had inspired me in the weeks prior. Namely running like the obese lady who ran past my house everyday.
I was employed by the Kohler Company, of Kohler, Wisconsin and like many firms during the early 1980s, was put on a work furlough due to a slump in the economy.
Instead of worrying about the loss of wages I welcomed the time off to catch up on projects around our home. The first was painting my garage. I like to paint, but I like it even more if I am not rushed and can do a good job. The lay off afforded me the time I needed to tackle this project.
Each day, as I faithfully stroked paint with brush in hand, an obese lady would run by my house. After several days, I began to time her and noted there were days she would be out for an hour or more and sometimes even two hours. Going by in her sweat-stained gray sweat suit, hood up over her head, I would hum the tune from the movie Rocky, as she reminded me of the movie with Sylvester Stallone, training to become the champion fighter.
After the garage was done, I decided it was time to make the time to take care of getting back into shape. I had quit smoking by that time and was gaining weight because of increased awareness in my taste buds. Everything tasted so good and if it tasted good, I would eat whatever it was until it was gone. I had no idea of portions or of what was good for me. The only requirement was that it had to be satisfying to my taste.
I started up a new “ladder”, without my paintbrush in hand, climbing upon the scale that revealed my weight. It went from the 140's (just over 60Kg), the weight I had been when I graduated from high school, back up into the high 160's (just under 80Kg). I knew it would not be long before . . .
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Races 100 miles or Longer (66 total)
24-Hour Races (41 total) of which:
-24 US Championships,
-10 World Championships
National Titles (All are USATF road events, unless indicated)
As of: July 2024, Total of – 96 National Titles
Career Ultra Marathons
Roy Pirrung, 77, of Kiel, Wisconsin was told, “You can’t Roy!” many times, from childhood until the time he signed up for his first foot race, the Mayfair Marathon. In a mere 26.2 miles he changed the configuration of that saying to, “You can TRY!”
After observing an obese woman jogging past his house while he was laid off from work and painting his garage he thought, “If she can do it, I can do it!”
Pirrung, obese, with a 2-pack-a-day habit, struggled for air just to walk up a flight of stairs. He suffered through shin splints and other maladies as he ran each day, eventually reaching his goal to run 2-miles.
The rest is history. Pirrung, now an ultra marathon runner, has completed more than 165 marathons and 223 ultra marathons. He has broken 100 American Records and garnered 96 National Champion Titles. He is a world masters champion and an age group world record holder. He has competed internationally over 50 times, in 26 countries and gained entry to USATFs Masters Hall of Fame.
Pirrung wrote of his experiences in a weekly newspaper column for over 6 years and frequently speaks at schools, businesses and running events about his passion and how it changed his life.
He is involved with his sport: as the former international representative to the Americas for the International Association of Ultrarunners, Vice-chairperson of USATFs Mountain, Ultra, and Trail running council, president of the American Ultrarunning Association and is currently writing an autobiography.
"See you in a few miles..."
- USA TRACK AND FIELD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES Total: 96; 3 OPEN, 83 MASTERS, 10 TEAM.
- NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL COUNT Total: 120; 96 GOLD, 18 SILVER, 6 BRONZE
- WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDAL COUNT Total: 16; 10 GOLD, 2 SILVER, 4 BRONZE
- AMERICAN RECORDS
Total 100: 3 OPEN and 97 Masters Single and Age Group
- RACES STARTED AND FINISHED
1,122 STARTS, 1,119 FINISHES, as of April 24, 2021
- MARATHONS COMPLETED: 157; -PR 2:38:47
- ULTRA MARATHONS COMPLETED: 219;
PRs: 50k 3:30:40; 50-mile 5:55:43; 100k 7:22:31; 12-hours 90 miles; 100 miles 13:15:50; 200k 18:19; 24-hours 154 miles 313 yards; 48-hours 243 miles 759 yards; 144- hours 400 miles 1,056 yards
- Total lifetime miles run: over 115,124 miles, as of December 31, 2024
Lifetime "Miles Raced" since 1981 debut marathon: 25,112.71 miles, as of April 24, 2021
- COMPETED OVER 50-TIMES INTERNATIONALLY on 5 CONTINENTS
- FOUR-TIME FINISHER of the 250K SPARTATHLON, ATHENS to SPARTA, GREECE, FINISHING PLACES: 4th, 6th, 3th, and 4th; AMERICAN OPEN (at the time) & MASTERS COURSE RECORD of 27:08, 1989; currently American Masters CR holder
- USATF "ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR" - 1997 (Dallas, TX)
- INDUCTED TO "USATF MASTERS HALL OF FAME" - 2001 (Mobile, AL)
- USATF "MASTERS ULTRARUNNER OF THE YEAR" - 2002 (Kansas City, MO); 2007 (Honolulu, HI); 2008 (Reno, NV); 2009 (Indianapolis, IN); 2012 (Daytona Beach, FL)
- AMERICAN ULTRA RUNNING ASSOCIATION, "ULTRARUNNER of THE MONTH" - JULY 2003
- THIRD PLACE FINISHER "RRCA ROD STEELE MEMORIAL AWARD"
- INITIAL "WISCONSIN LIFESPORTS AWARD WINNER" - 1990, Presented by Dr. George Sheehan, PAPER VALLEY HOTEL, (Appleton, WI)
- "WISCONSIN LIFESPORTS AWARD WINNER" - 1992, Presented by OLYMPIAN Frank Shorter, (Appleton, WI)
- Broke SIX AMERICAN RECORDS during the 1993 USATF 24-HOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, 50km, 50 miles, 100 km, 12 hours, 100 miles and 24 hours
- TWENTY-FOUR consecutive 24 Hour Run Age Group NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES, undefeated in age group competition at 24hr Championships
- RUNNER’S WORLD MAGAZINE’S "RRCA OUTSTANDING CLUB MEMBER AWARD" - 1997
- RUNNING TIMES "MASTERS RUNNER OF THE YEAR", HONORABLE MENTION (to Boston & NYC Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers) - 1997
- SECOND PLACE AT 48-HOUR WORLD TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS, SURGERES, FRANCE, 1997 AND 2001
- OLDEST AMERICAN MALE TO BREAK AN OPEN TRACK RECORD, 48-HOURS with 243.43 MILES - 1997, at Age 48, stood for 23 years (broken by Olivier LeBlond, 2020)
- OLDEST AMERICAN MALE TO MAKE A NATIONAL TEAM & SCORE, IAU 24- HOUR WORLD CHALLENGE, Seoul, South Korea - 2008; Age 60, breaking 3, 60-64 national records at 12 hours, 100 miles and 24 hours and the 24-hr World Best for 60-64, 133-miles, placing 27th male overall of 200+ international competitors
- INAUGURAL IAU 100K MASTERS WORLD CHAMPION, TAINAN, TAIWAN - 2003, First 55-59
-AGE-GRADED IAU 100K MASTERS WORLD CHAMPION, SAN CARLOS DE BARILOCHE, PATAGONIA, AREGNTINA - 2005, FIRST 55-59
- ULTRARUNNING MAGAZINE’S "CHOICE FOR TOP AGE-GROUP PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR" - 2005, USATF 24-HOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP–3-AGE-GROUP RECORDS; 12-HOURS, 100-MILES AND 24- HOURS, SECOND OVERALL, 141.6 MILES, (San Diego, CA)
- PRESENTED PERSONAL RUNNING ITEMS to THE MAYOR of MARATHON, GREECE at an INSTALLATION CEREMONY for the 2500TH ANNIVERSARY of THE BATTLE OF MARATHON, at the MARATHON MUSEUM in conjunction with the 2010 ATHENS CLASSIC MARATHON
- 3 ITALIAN ULTRAS with in Two Weeks - "NOVE COLLI at 202.6KM" - MAY 21, "DEL PASSATORE at 100KM" - MAY 28, and "TORINO TO ROMA NON STOP 722KM" - JUNE 2-9, 2011; 28th, 791st and 2nd OVERALL, respectively, in 194 Hours and 1000+ Km
- TWO-TIME HAWAII IRONMAN WORLD TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP FINISHER, 1995 and 1998
- MARATHON LEG AGE GROUP RECORD at IRONMAN HAWAII, 45-49, 1995, 3:16
- "NOVEMBER 2006 Cover Photo on GEEZER JOCK MAGAZINE" and Nominee "2007 GEEZER JOCK MAGAZINE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR"
- SERVED as PRESIDENT of AMERICAN ULTRARUNNING ASSOCIATION, 2008-2012 and VICE-CHAIR of USA TRACK & FIELD’S MOUNTAIN, ULTRA & TRAIL RUNNING COMMITTEE
- SERVE on USATF ATHLETES ADVISORY COMMITTEE as MUT GROUP LEADER
- SERVE on EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of MOUNTAIN, ULTRA & TRAIL RUNNING COUNCIL
- SERVE on USATF LDR DIVISION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE as EXECUTIVE SECRETARY and REPRESENT AAC and MUT
- REPRESENT MUT on MENS LDR COMMITTEE
- SERVE as LDR and MUT CHAIR for WISCONSIN-USATF and FORMERLY SERVED as WOMEN’S LDR
- SERVED as USATF LIAISON to MULTIPLE MUT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- NINE-TIME MANAGER and 8 TIME PARTICIPANT in 24 HOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- CURRENT USATF CERTIFIED OFFICIAL
- RANKED NUMBER ONE in THE WORLD at 50 MILES for 65-69, 2014 & 2015 with RESPECTIVE TIMES of 8:28:00 and 8:21:18 (AGE GRADED to 6:19)
- CURRENTLY RANKED WORLD’S BEST in THE WORLD for 70-74 at 100 MILES
- SERVED as INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION of ULTRARUNNERS REPRESENTATIVE to THE AMERICAS, 2008-2012
- GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS: Most Runners Linked Together to Complete a Marathon, Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon, Oct 2, 2011, 62 runners and most Runners Linked to Complete a half-marathon, 103 runners, Trailbreaker Half- marathon, Waukesha, WI, April 6, 2013, 116 runners
- STATE of WISCONSIN 2017-2018 "HOMETOWN HERO AWARD"
- US ARMY VETERAN, VIETNAM ERA & MEMBER of THE AMERICAN LEGION
- MENTOR and COACH to MILITARY VETS with PTSD through BAND OF RUNNERS
- COACH, MENTOR and SPEAKER for WISCONSIN SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES
- CLINICIAN for DISTANCE RUNNERS at HIGH SCHOOLS and the WISCONSIN COACHES ASSOCIATION
- PUBLIC SPEAKER at SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITIES, CIVIC, MILITARY and CORPORATE ORGANIZATIONS and RUNNING EVENTS, TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL, COMPETENT COMMUNICATOR & ADVANCED COMMUNICATOR SILVER, PAST PRESIDENT of SPEAKEZ CLUB
- SPEAKING on EXERCISE, HEALTH, NUTRITION, GOAL SETTING and MENTAL TOUGHNESS
- FORMER NEWSPAPER COLUMNIST, WISCONSIN GANNETT NEWSPAPERS, and MySheboygan.com and Blogger at www.wigwam.com
. . . CURRENTLY WRITING AUTOBIOGRAPHY – "heROYic"
Updated: December 31, 2020
Roy is frequently invited to speak at running events & seminars and as keynote speaker. In addition, he also serves as a running event official / marshal.
Roy Pirrung wrote a weekly newspaper column on healthy living through exercise and nutrition. He has been a contributor to numerous runner magazines and contributed a story to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series.
Roy has given presentations to charitable organizations, K-12 school and university level students, as well as businesses and U.S. Military personnel.
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