@vic_zee is the first SOLO finisher for TSP ATA 25. 108 hours, 42 minutes to cross 500km of desert with 6250m elevation, subzero temperatures, and no shortage of other surprises from the Atacama.
Felicitaciones a Víctor. Mensaje entregado.
#SINESPECTADORES
“why are you doing this?”
“i don’t know yet”
i thought the answer would reveal itself somewhere between la and vegas.
it never did.
instead of answers, over 106 hours i got perspective.
the only thing that became clear was that this was something i needed to do. for more reasons than i realized.
106 hours where nothing else mattered.
just the mission. just the movement. just the moment.
300 miles later it still doesn’t feel real.
the numbers don’t make sense.
the memories already dissipating.
the internal gears, once shifting, now settling.
i’m still not sure what to do with these feelings.
i’m not sure i ever will.
words will never be enough…
to explain i still don’t have a clear why but an understanding that certain things in life we just need to do.
to explain i recognize this is the most selfish thing i’ve ever done…but it was so necessary for me.
to express how loved i felt. every. step. of. the. way. that if you asked me to dream it up, reality was 100x more incredible.
to tell you i found a feeling i’ll be chasing for the rest of my life.
that’s the beauty.
as often as we think we found “it” we redefine it.
and we always come back for more.
more growth. more love. more answers. more adventure.
i don’t know what more looks like
but i know i’ll spend a lifetime chasing the feeling i found out there.
between la and vegas and the aftermath, i learned how good life can be
because when everything was stripped away and there was nothing left…
i realized i still had everything.
not everyone can say that. i’m so damn lucky
maybe that was the whole point.
—
words can’t express how grateful i am
to everyone i shared the roads with, thank you for inspiring me to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
to @austinoffthegrid@grayokay@brookewinfield@jackdweck there’s no one i would’ve rather shared this crazy adventure with. we did it.
to hundreds of friends and family sending love from every direction, thank you doesn’t suffice.
to @nils_877 & @thespeedproject family, thank you for taking a chance on me. i hope you feel it paid off.
as we say, it was better next year 🏴
11 days, 14 hours, 2 minutes ago
feels like a lifetime ago
i miss it
A journey of 343 miles begins by flying off the start line. “If It Hurts, Good” a story of friendship, loss, and running - link in bio to watch the full film on YouTube
austin and griffin appreciation post
we’re fooling ourselves if we think we can do anything in life alone. to say i would’ve died in the desert without these two incredible humans is not an exaggeration. it’s crazy to me that we call this race “solo,” yet it’s the most we will ever need a team in our lives. no words or post will ever do justice to how grateful i am; not just for you both being there, but for truly leaning in and sharing this experience with me.
to austin: you say jump, i say how high. you say this way, i follow without question. i trust you with my life. out in the desert you were our our captain. i know it wasn’t easy: the ankle, the altitude sickness, the car issues (x2!), and all the chaos i threw at you. but what gets me the most is how you handled every single thing with this calm, steady presence that made me feel safe the entire time. there were so many moments where i felt cracked open, and every time you were there to steady the ship. you didn’t just take care of the logistics, you protected us and my energy when i often had none left. i’m forever grateful for you.
to griffin: this was your first ultra experience and you stepped up in ways i couldn’t have imagined. i threw you into rough conditions with basically no resources, into your highest mileage week ever, into a manual car you couldn’t drive at first, and yet you adapted like you’d been doing this for years. you never hesitated, never complained, just fully showed up. what meant the most were the little things. the timing of the things you said, the way you kept things light when i was going dark, the energy you brought even when you were exhausted yourself. you brought this lightness and grounding that genuinely kept me together more than you know. i’m forever grateful you were there for this adventure.
i couldn’t dream up a better team to have shared this with. i’ll look back on every moment out there with so much gratitude and so much love. thank you for being my rock, for putting your lives on hold, for toughing it out in often dangerous, and always uncomfortable conditions, and simply for being you. we did it 🏴
fin restricción
📸 @austinoffthegrid
When Victor Zeitoune first started running in NYC, he says he had a difficult time finding his place in the running community.
He initially thought simply getting faster would be his ticket in, ultimately setting PRs of 2:35 in the marathon and 1:12 in the half marathon. But throughout that process, Victor still struggled to find where he belonged. Then he found @almostfridayrunclub —or rather, Almost Friday Run Club found him—and with that came the community he’d been searching for.
Victor says ‘it’s very hard to put to words what running has meant to me the last couple years,’ from Thursday mornings with Almost Friday Run Club, to running @thespeedproject in memory of the club’s co-founder Sam Norton in 2024, to the creation of the @onedollarultra in July, and that ‘there’s just a sense of friendship and community that I found in running that I don’t think I’ve ever felt before.’
We spoke with Victor to discuss his shift from a focus on speed to ultras and the more atypical races, why Almost Friday Run Club is so special to him, his experience running The Speed Project solo this past year, the future of the $1 ultra and more. Read the full interview at the link in bio
We did it, Sam! Just like we planned.
It took only a few years for us to plan a lifetime of adventures but not even a day for that to be ripped away. I know that no amount of miles or tears will bring you back, but I promise to continue chasing our adventures if you continue to show up and share them with me.
The Sam Project. 342.89 miles from LA to Vegas.
Boston Marathon. “Of course we do both.” 2:54 for you.
Thank you for everything Sam, we miss you more and more each day ❤️🩹 This is just the beginning
📸 @grayokay@sarahtruittphotography@sestafford
Dopey was the full ride of emotions. From Happy to Grumpy, Sleepy and Sneezy, Doc and even Bashful at times. Couldn’t have dreamed up a better #rundisney experience*
To think it all started with a dream and a few kids signing up for a marathon. Cheers to year 4! It’s true what they say: you’re never to old to be young
*Okay, maybe we could have skipped the parking lot miles
