Rik Vercoe

{{Short description|British runner}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

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| hometown = Walton on Thames, England

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| pb = {{ubl|Marathon: 2:54:22 (2013)|10 marathons in 10 days: 29:54:56 (2013, WR)}}

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{{medalCompetition|North Pole Marathon}}

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Rik Vercoe (born 1970 or 1971) is a British ultramarathon runner from Walton on Thames, Surrey, England. In 2013 he set the British record for most marathons completed in 365 days, having run 152 races at marathon distance and above.{{cite journal |title=Break two running records... by accident |journal=Runner's World |date=May 2014 |volume=23 |issue=5 |page=35}}

While setting the British record for most marathons in a year, Vercoe won both the Brathay and Irish 10 marathons in 10 days races. He was also one of the first two people to complete the Ultra Running Relentless race, which involves running an average of 30 miles a day for 30 days through all of the 47 counties in England. At the end of 2013, while running 16 marathons in Long Beach, California, Vercoe picked up the world record for the fastest aggregate time for 10 marathons in 10 days.{{cite journal |title=Fastest time to complete 10 marathons in 10 days (male) |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/fastest-time-to-complete-ten-marathons-in-ten-days-%28male%29- |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402144436/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/fastest-time-to-complete-ten-marathons-in-ten-days-%28male%29- |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 April 2015 |journal=Guinness World Records |access-date=13 March 2015}}

Aged 43, he also set a new world record at the 2014 London Marathon for the fastest marathon dressed as a cowboy in a time of 3:09:09.{{cite news |last1=Lynch |first1=Kevin |date=13 April 2014 |title=Virgin London Marathon 2014: All the world records from this year's race confirmed |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2014/4/virgin-london-marathon-2014-all-the-world-records-from-this-years-race-confirmed-56738/ |website=Guinness World Records |access-date=12 March 2015 |quote=Rik Vercoe, 43, from Walton of Thames rustled his way to a new world record for the Fastest marathon dressed as a cowboy in a time of 3h 09m 09s}} He took 32 minutes off the previous record.{{cite news |last1=Talbot |first1=Charlotte |date=15 April 2014 |title=Runners across the county take on the London Marathon |url=http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/runners-across-surrey-take-london-6992425 |work=Get Surrey |publisher=Trinity Mirror |access-date=13 March 2015}} However, he was beaten by 39 seconds by the 'fastest jockey'.{{cite book |title=Guinness World Records 2015: Bonus Chapter |publisher=Guinness World Records |isbn=9781908843722 |page=3}} After completing the race he said:

I have to say that running dressed in blue jeans and leather chaps was not the best of ideas on one of the hottest days of the year so far. Needless to say I will indeed be walking like a cowboy for at least a week.

Previously, Vercoe competed in the 2010 North Pole Marathon, representing Great Britain and finishing in second place in a time of 5:07:30 behind Joep Rozendal of the Netherlands.{{cite web |title=2010 North Pole Marathon Results |url=http://www.npmarathon.com/html/race-results/24.html |website=npmarathon.com |publisher=North Pole Marathon |access-date=13 March 2015}} In April 2013, he ran the Marathon des Sables, often billed as the toughest race on earth, finishing in 39th place out of 1,024 runners, then a few days later ran the London Marathon in his desert attire to raise more funds for his chosen charity, the Brathay Trust.{{cite news |last1=Talbot |first1=Charlotte |date=25 April 2013 |title=Sahara marathon's blistering temperatures and feet |url=http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/sahara-marathons-blistering-temperatures-feet-4721541 |work=Get Surrey |access-date=6 April 2015}}

Aside from running, Vercoe is an avid scuba diver. By 2010, he had made over 1400 dives in 30 locations worldwide. He has written a number of guide books on diving:{{cite web |title=2010 Competitors |url=http://www.npmarathon.com/html/55 |website=npmarathon.com |publisher=North Pole Marathon |access-date=13 March 2015}}{{cite web |title=Rik Vercoe Author Page |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rik-Vercoe/e/B00J71RBBE/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1 |website=Amazon.co.uk |access-date=13 March 2015}}

• {{cite book |last1=Vercoe |first1=Rik |title=Hurghada: Diving Guide |date=2008 |publisher=Travelling Diver}}
• {{cite book |last1=Vercoe |first1=Rik |title=Sharm el Sheikh: Diving Guide |date=2008 |publisher=Travelling Diver}}
• {{cite book |last1=Vercoe |first1=Rik |title=Red Sea Wrecks - Northern Egypt: Site-by-site Dive Guide |date=2007}}
• {{cite book |last1=Vercoe |first1=Rik |title=Northern Wrecks and Reefs Liveaboard: Diving Guide |date=2012 |publisher=Travelling Diver}}
• {{cite book |last1=Vercoe |first1=Rik |title=Safaga: Site-by-site Dive Guide |date=2008 |publisher=Travelling Diver}}
• {{cite book |last1=Vercoe |first1=Rik |title=El-Gouna: Diving Guide |date=2012 |publisher=Travelling Diver}}