Ákos Kónya

About

Ákos Kónya is a Hungarian-born ultramarathon runner, raised in Kecskemét, Hungary, and now based in Oceanside, California. He began running at age 12, competed in track through high school, and ran his first marathon at 15 (sub-2:30); after knee surgery for patellar tendinitis in 2001 forced a two-year layoff, he shifted from speed-based racing to ultra-distances, turning to ultramarathons in 2003 while working as a restaurant manager in California after emigrating to the U.S. in 2001 through a foreign-exchange program at Yellowstone National Park. He emerged from obscurity at the 2006 Badwater 135 in Death Valley, leading for much of the race before fading to 2nd (25:58:42, less than 17 minutes behind winner Scott Jurek), and repeated 2nd-place Badwater finishes in 2007 (23:47:47) and 2008 (23:49:44, hampered by a hamstring injury). He won the Lean Horse 100-Mile in South Dakota twice, setting the course record in 2007 and repeating in 2009, and in November 2007 crossed the U.S. 24-Hour National Championship line first with 146.25 miles -- though as a non-U.S. citizen he was ineligible for the title itself. He also finished 2nd at the Surf City USA Marathon in 2010.

Notable Wins

• — Lean Horse 100-Mile winner (course record) 2007
• — Lean Horse 100-Mile winner 2009
• — U.S. 24-Hour National Championship overall winner (ineligible for title) 2007 (146.25 miles)
• — Badwater 135 2nd 2006 (25:58:42)
• — 2nd 2007 (23:47:47)
• — 2nd 2008 (23:49:44)

Race History