Episode #5

May 10

Why HYROX Was Harder Than a 24-Hour Ultra | Vasileios Kampakis

Vasileios Kampakis is an ultra trail runner, endurance athlete, and long-time member of the Utrecht Running Project, where he also regularly supports the community as a pacer. Originally from Greece and having grown up near Mount Olympus, his connection to mountains eventually evolved into a passion for ultra-distance running.

Over the years, he has completed multiple ultra races across Europe and beyond, and more recently stepped into the world of fitness racing through Gymrace and HYROX: including his first HYROX Solo Pro experience.

Whether on trails or inside an arena, Vasileios is always exploring what happens when you keep going long after things get uncomfortable.

“I want to do this as long as I’m alive”

What’s mentally harder: running for 24 hours… or finishing a HYROX Solo Pro?

For ultra trail runner and Utrecht Running Project pacer Vasileios Kampakis, the answer might surprise you.

In this episode of Nothing But A Good Time, we sit down to talk about endurance, suffering, mindset, and what happens when you voluntarily sign up for things most people would avoid at all costs.

We dive into Vasileios’ experience completing a 24-hour Backyard Ultra: a race format where runners repeat a loop every hour until only one person remains (worldwide). From freezing nights and short recovery windows to nutrition, pacing, and the strange mental effects of exhaustion, he shares what really happens when you spend hours pushing through discomfort.

But the conversation doesn’t stop there.

Despite years of endurance running experience, Vasileios also decided to take on HYROX Solo Pro without ever properly training with a 9kg wall ball beforehand… What followed was a brutally honest experience of learning, suffering, and finding a way through.

Along the way, we talk about why endurance athletes keep coming back to hard things, how mental resilience develops, what makes different types of suffering unique, and why exploring limits matters more than chasing perfection.

Whether you’re into HYROX, trail running, endurance sports, or simply curious about why some people voluntarily suffer for hours, this episode offers an honest and relatable look inside the mindset of someone who keeps showing up for hard challenges.

In This Episode: