 Guinness World Records have awarded the ‘fastest time to complete 10 marathons in 10 days (male)’ to elite endurance athlete Adam ‘Tango’ Holland. Known as the man who can make a treadmill tired, Holland is also Ambassador to UK charity Kids Run Free alongside Olympian Sir Mo Farah and is a well-respected, inspirational force in the running community.
Although many have tried to take the record out of the UK – including a US claim made in 2019, it has remained on British soil, having previously been held by UK running legends Rik Vercoe and Steve Edwards, both close friends of Holland. The new record by Holland has been officially recorded as 27:38:36 which breaks down to each consecutive marathon being completed in 2:45:50 and was achieved during a 10 marathons in 10 days event organised by Club Super Marathon Italia, along the shores of the stunning Lake Orta in Italy, a far from flat course with over 2,300 ft of elevation.
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TeamHolland HQ are excited to announce that Adam Holland has become an Ambassador for Kids Run Free, joining their mission to get kids moving.
Martine Verweij, Founder and CEO of Kids Run Free said: “We are honoured that Adam has agreed to become our new ambassador. It’s important for us that our ambassadors reflect the values of the charity and I believe that Adam is the perfect person to represent us. He’s inspiring, dynamic, open and confident; an amazing role model for the next generation. To have someone so passionate about what we do, actively promoting our cause and raising money for us is fantastic and we can’t wait for our journey to begin. We also have Sir Mo Farah as our Global Ambassador and are very proud that we have these wonderful role models as champions of our charity ”.  The UK's May Bank Holiday heatwave didn't stop Adam Holland who powered through the brutal temperatures, which hit 29C, not only winning the global Wings For Life UK title at Richmond Park, London, but also competing in two marathons either side of Sunday's event. 'I was really pleased when I hit the 50km mark before I was caught by the virtual catcher car, the heat in the park made running conditions particularly challenging this year'. His official distance was 51.93km which he ran in 3:41:50. Next year Adam is planning an overseas trip to a location with a catcher car and perhaps in cooler conditions! 
I am very honoured to have been nominated for the Men's Running Awards 2018, under the category of 'Influencer of the Year' alongside some amazing runners. Having struggled with dyslexia at school and bullying, running was my escape; something that gave me confidence and I was naturally good at.
I am so proud that now I am able to inspire others to attain their running goals and encourage the younger generation to give running a go. To vote please click here. Other categories include charities, races and retailers plus more, so have a browse! I'm very excited to see the charity Kids Run Free listed too! A cause close to my heart. Thanks to all who nominated me. Adam Voting closes on June 1st 2018 and then a shortlist of ten will be announced.  Let's put Adam Holland’s achievements out there right off the bat as they are mind boggling: He has won more marathons/ultra marathons than anyone else in the UK, running 344 marathons and winning 195. He has the world record for the youngest person to run 100 marathons at the age of just 23 and the fastest person to run 10 marathons in 10 days with an average time of 2 hours and 45 minutes. Yes, you read that right; 2 hours and 45 minutes. With all this he sits in the top five in the world for marathon victories. Think that’s impressive? He’s just getting started. I caught up with Adam last week to understand what it takes to make a record breaker and what keeps him ahead of the pack. What motivates you? Firstly, I love to run and I just need to run, which I think has to be the main motivation; the thought that I am still not at the speed I know I could be at and training in 2018, to get my PB’s down to a really competitive level motivates me too. Through my sport, I have had the chance to meet so many inspirational people, travel to new places and make friends for life. The running community is a very positive, happy one! Chatting to people that have been motivated and inspired by me, especially children, makes me feel very proud. That’s why I am running the JOGLE (John O’Groats to Lands End in 17 days) in March 2019, to raise money for Kids Run Free, a charity which promotes healthy living and positive mental attitude to school aged children. What is the key bit of kit you cannot do without? Without a doubt, my FLANCI Activewear (my double layered running shorts). I don’t like the idea of running too freely! What’s next? What targets are you hoping to smash next? I have some elite entries at races coming up, the main one being the Brighton Marathon in April and later in the year, the Dorchester Marathon. I have just been over to the Logicom Cyprus Marathon which I was very happy to have won, and I am looking into competing at a few more international events this year and in 2019. Another aim this year is to find more sponsors, to help me achieve my targets and attain some really big goals. My next targets to smash are running a half marathon in under 1:12 and getting my marathon time down from my current PB of 2:27:55. What advice would you give to runners just starting out?
Don’t put pressure on yourself and worry about speed, distance and time; the biggest achievement is just getting out there and running. Even if you don’t feel like doing it, just make yourself and try and be consistent- don’t give up just because you missed a run. Also, find kit that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Once you get going, enjoy it and try and meet like minded people through running clubs and park runs. There are plenty of people in the same boat as you and you will help each other to keep going. Finally, if you are running to lose weight, try not to make that your goal, aim instead for feeling healthier and knowing that your body is benefitting from all that lovely fresh air. If you need a goal later on, you may decide to sign up for your first 5k, as that will give you something to focus on and don’t forget – when you enter races there are medals and treats at the end! Just be careful, the next thing you will find yourself doing is Googling marathons and buying medal display cases. What do you put your success down to? There are many people, friends and family members that have supported my journey to this stage in my career. I have also been able to train and enter races thanks to sponsors such as NoblePro Treadmills, Flanci Activewear and Ultra Great Britain. The main reason I am successful however, is that I just go out and run as often as I can, the key to any profession is to be dedicated, to go for it and never give up and of course, to help others to achieve their goals at the same time. There’s no reward in being at the top without everyone else by your side. I think that also links back to motivation; I have such a great team of people following me on Facebook, Twitter and more recently on Instagram and YouTube, supporting me with comments, that I really feel like I could achieve anything. Lastly, morning coffee or morning run? That’s an easy one! I don’t drink coffee, so 100% morning run or should I say quick ultramarathon before breakfast?  Adam Holland, England Athletics 50k Ultra Distance Champion and Guinness World Record holder, won the Logicom Cyprus marathon this weekend.
His latest victory takes his total number of marathons run to 344 with 195 wins and ranks him top five in the world for marathon victories. Alongside Adam, this prestigious event, now in its 20th year, saw over 2,500 people competing, including a large number of British runners. The spectacular course starts at Petra Tou Romiou – legendary birthplace of Aphrodite – and finishes in front of the former Byzantine fort at Kato Paphos harbour where huge crowds gather to cheer the runners to the finish line. Adam, who is 30 and a member of the Tavistock Athletics Club, said of the achievement: “I’ve not taken part in this marathon before, the atmosphere was brilliant, the course is stunning and I am hoping to return again next year”. He completed the Logicom Cyprus marathon in a staggering time of 2 hours 46 minutes, but wants to return next year to beat the course record (set by Salameh Al Aqra from Jordan in 2005) of 2 hours 33 minutes. |
