The Will of a Champion

Edit Berces is a university professor for the Budapest Business School at the Zalaegerszeg campus in Hungary. But Edit is also much more, being one of the top athletes in the world.

Edit began her athletic endeavors at the age of eight, when she was told she was too "old" to become a world class swimmer. Not to be denied, Edit continued her training, eventually becoming successful as a triathlete and one of the top Ultradistance runners in the world.

Her first ultra feat was accomplished in 1987 with a 50K/31.25Mile solo run in the rain from her hometown of Zalaegerszeg, to Nagykanizsa where her teaching career began. In 1992, Edit finished third at the Hungarian Middle Distance Triathlon Championship (2000 meter / 1.25 Mile Swim, 80K / 50Mile Bike, 21K / 13.1Mile Run). Following this, Edit traveled to Fullerton, California where she completed her Master's Degree in Education. While in Fullerton, Edit met accomplished ultrarunners Lorraine Gersitz (MUT Council member) and Bruce Guter, who gave her rides to running events every weekend, among them to the 1993 start of the Trans America Footrace at Long Beach.

In 1996, Edit competed in several short and middle triathlons and marathons on the east coast. For example, she finished second in her age group at the United States Triathlon Federation regional championship (in the Breezy Point race held at the Norfolk Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia) and also won the Kiawah Island Marathon (NC). Edit then traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, where she worked as an interpreter in French, English, Russian, German and Hungarian at the 1996 Olympic Games. While interpreting at the Olympic Games, Edit met Hungarian coach Sandor Toth. Coach Toth worked with Edit for two years, and Edit credits this time with Coach Toth for helping to establish the foundation she would draw upon for world-class success in the ultra distance running events.

In 1997, Edit finished third in her first Ironman competition in Hungary. She followed that with a second place finish in the 1998 Hungarian Ironman in Nagyatád, and again, second in 2002, finishing with a course record marathon split.

In 2000, the year of the new millennium, Edit reached the pinnacle of success, having won all nine ultramarathons she entered, and thus becoming the European and World titleholder in the 100 kilometer competition.

In 2001, Edit Berces became the World 24-hour track champion, and in the following year of 2002, she became the European 24-hour Champion establishing a new Hungarian record on the road. Edit later surpassed this record in Austria in July 2003.

In September 2002, at the Italian 24-Hour Track Championship she set a World Record, running over 250 kms/156.25 miles, the first woman ever to do so, far surpassing not only every woman in the field, but also out-distancing all of the men. The closest finisher, male or female, was 15 kilometers /9.375 miles behind. Andy Milroy and Dan Brannen, writing in Ultramarathon World, in an article entitled "Berces and Kouros Ultrarunners of 2002" named Edit Berces' performance at the Verona 24-Hour race as "one of history's greatest performances." In this single race, Edit rewrote three existing world records, the 100 mile track best by Ann Trason (14:25:45), the 200 kilometer /125 mile record by Eleanor Robinson (18:31:43 ) and the 24-hour world record 250.108 kilometers (155 miles 721 yards), a record formerly held by Irina Reutovich.

Malcolm Campbell, President of the International Association of Ultrarunners, writing in the Assocation's December 2002 IAU Newsletter, has observed that "There can be no doubt that one of the most versatile and successful ultra distance runners is Edit Berces. It was my priviledge to witness her debut over 100kms in Hungary a few years ago. She became the European 100km Champion and the World 100km Champion and her restless spirit lifted her sights to the 24 Hour Event. This year at Gravigny, France she became the European 24 Hours Champion and she followed this on the next weekend by being first scorer for her National Team in the European 100km Championships at Winschoten, Netherlands and the next weekend in Italy she became the first woman to pass 250kms (154 miles) in a 24-hour race."

Biographer's Personal Observations:

Edit Berces personifies the will of a champion; a rather remarkable and rare phenomenon. When I first met Edit Berces in 1995, I sensed immediately her drive to succeed. We trained together on occasions while she was a student at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, running through the city's parks. Frankly, she forced me to push myself very hard. From time to time, we would travel together to triathlons in the mid-Atlantic area. Edit was always a tough competitor, but, remarkably, over the past seven years, she has elevated her performance in ultra-distance events to world champion level. I have not been surprised by this, but paradoxically, I have been surprised. I have not been surprised because I understood her prepossessing drive, which kept her focused on success. I have been surprised in that it is not always easy to avoid the distractions of mortal living which often are insurmountable obstacles. Edit has always been flexible enough to meet such obstacles head-on, face the challenge, and then continue her progress. All who have competed successfully in athletics know how important is the need to be persistent. Edit Berces is relentlessly persistent.

By Karl William Viehe, Washington D.C.