This Canadian ultrarunner just logged his 400th ultra
Trishul Cherns, 68, has been racing ultras since 1978, and he’s nowhere near done
Dann LG
When Trishul Cherns, 68, posted on Facebook that he had officially completed his 400th ultramarathon, the number astounded even those who are familiar with his many accomplishments. “I began ultra running in 1978, 47 years ago, with the Sri Chinmoy 47-mile race. I loved it from the start, and the shine has never worn off,” Cherns wrote. The milestone comes after decades of competing on roads, tracks, and trails around the world, from multi-day races in Europe and Asia to ultras across North America.
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Over the years, Cherns, born in Hamilton, has built one of the world’s most extensive ultrarunning resumes. His race history includes everything from classic 50K events to 1,000-mile journeys that test the limits of sleep, nutrition and problem-solving. Along the way, he served as a statistician for UltraRunning magazine, helped document the sport’s growth and became a familiar name in North American multi-day running.
Breaking down 400
True to form, Cherns didn’t mark the milestone with a short caption. He broke it down the way someone who loves numbers would. “Of the 400 ultramarathon race completions, 217 are on roads, 50 on track, and 133 on trails.” His personal bests date back to the 1980s and 90s, with standout marks like a 3:57:30 road 50K in 1983, a 100K in 8:47:00 in 1986, and 209.6 km in 24 hours on the track in 1995. Cherns’s multi-day results reflect decades of consistency: 866 km in a 6-day race in 1986 and 1,240 km over 10 days that same year, both from an era when multi-day running was far smaller and far less supported than it is today.
One number stands out even among those: “I’m especially proud to have run over 650 km/400 miles in 6 days, 30 times in my career,” he says. Very few runners in history have repeated performances at that level.
A sport that changed his life
“Ultrarunning has provided me with many incredibly rich running experiences over the years,” Cherns shares. Races have taken him through different countries and introduced him to athletes whose influence stayed with him. He even met his wife, Kären, at a 6-day race in France.
Cherns names French multi-day runner Jean-Gilles Bousiquet as his all-time favourite ultrarunner, and mentions Olympic marathoner Ted Corbitt, noting his impact on course measurement and the example he set during a time when he faced racism in the sport. And he describes Sri Chinmoy, his spiritual teacher, as someone who recognized his interest in extreme distances. “Sri Chinmoy gave me my name, Trishul,” he wrote, explaining that it symbolizes strength and balance.
The 400th finish
Cherns reached number 400 at the NYC Trail Mix 50K in Staten Island, N.Y. He thanked race director Dann “for putting on a stellar race with a clearly marked course,” adding that he was touched by the plaque presented to him at the finish.
After such an epic running career, some runners might slow down. Not Cherns. “I’ve already lined up 20 ultras for 2026,” he told Canadian Running. “There’s a 6-day race in New Jersey I’ve finished second in three times, and I’d really like to finally hit the top of the podium. I’m also heading back to the Notchview 48-hour in Massachusetts, which I’ve won twice—going for the three-peat. I’m always up for a new adventure, maybe something out in California or the Pacific Northwest.”
