BITTER SETS TWO WORLD TREADMILL ENDURANCE RECORDS
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2020 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

(16-May) -- Zach Bitter set two pending world treadmill endurance records today, covering the longest distance ever for 12 hours and running 100 miles in the fastest time.  Switching back and forth between two NordicTrack Commercial X22i treadmills in his Phoenix home, the 34 year-old Bitter covered 158.8 km (98.6 miles) through the 12-hour mark, the pushed on to 100 miles in 12:09:15.  The previous records, both held by Canadian Dave Proctor and set last year, were 153.8 km (95.5 miles) for 12 hours and 12:32:26 for 100 miles.  Bitter averaged an astonishing 7:12 per mile (4:28/km).

"I was feeling pretty good by the end," said Bitter who was accompanied by his wife, Nicole, throughout today's effort.

Bitter took several short breaks to use the toilet, and at the 87 mile point he felt mentally defeated and hopped off for two minutes to collect himself.  He said he sat in the bathroom for two minutes, before getting back on the treadmill to finish.

Bitter said that his record run went mostly to plan, but that he ended up needing more fluids than he thought.  He tried to keep the room where he was running at a cool temperature, but it was 98F (37C) outside and the air conditioning set-up could only do so much.

"I would say the biggest hurdle I had was I drastically underestimated how much fluid I would use," he said.


PHOTO: Screen imaged of Zach Bitter after his 12 hour and 100 mile treadmill records