Addison Hendricks is something of an ultra-marathoning prodigy.
Back in high school, the now 26-year-old was encouraged by his coach to take part in a 48-hour track race. But participating in the event wasn't enough for him. After looking it up, Addison decided the under-21 American record of 130-miles was breakable. He was just 16 when he took on the Wildcat 100 Ultra Race in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida. That didn't stop him bettering the record within 37 hours and 37 minutes. The result might sound incredible, but people shouldn't have been shocked. A cross-country and track runner, Addison was completing 50k and 50-mile training runs every weekend.
These days, Addison regularly takes on - and podiums - in races ranging from 50k to over 200-miles. In recent months he has completed races including The Barkley Fall Classic and the Cowboy 200, while back in June he won the 351-mile Last Annual Heart of the South (HOTS) Road Race. The latter event is an incredible adventure race that sees competitors arrive for their run atop Sand Mountain in North Georgia with no idea where the route will take them, other than that it will cover between 300 and 350 miles.
Next year looks set to be another epic, with events already planned, including the 230-mile Coast to Coaster - another race Addison has previously won - and returns to both HOTS and the Cowboy 200.
We’ll be talking to Addison on the latest episode of Running Tales, part of Step Forward with Lewis and the Everyday Athlete Podcast Network.
