Michal Kapral of Port Hope, Ont., has held the joggling (running while juggling) world record for the marathon (2:50:12) since 2007. On Saturday, at the Sugarbush Shenanigans Ultra in Ontario’s Prince Edward County, Kapral set a new world record–this time, for the longest distance run while juggling three balls. He covered an astonishing 115 kilometres (71.5 miles) in 17 hours and 22 minutes.
Kapral was aiming to take on a challenge no one had ever successfully completed—joggling for 100 miles. He soon discovered it was far more difficult, even, than he expected: “I wanted to get to 100 miles joggling, but learned the hard way why no one has ever done it,” Kapral told Canadian Running (of which he is a former editor). “I’m thrilled I even made it to 71.5 miles.”
His record-breaking feat surpassed the previous distance-joggling record of 70 miles, set by British runner Tim Butler at the Grimsthorpe Ultramarathon in 2010. Kapral topped that mark by 1.5 miles, setting a new standard in a discipline few have even attempted.
The Sugarbush Shenanigans Ultra, set in a scenic vineyard with a 3.2-km loop, was the perfect venue for Kapral. He specifically chose this course for its relative flatness and manageable terrain, after finding most ultras too technical for joggling. Heading into the event, he had never joggled beyond the marathon distance, and was completely unaware of the challenges of ultra-juggling.
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One of the biggest hurdles for Kapral was keeping his heart rate down. Unlike running (without balls), there’s no “easy” mode in joggling—either you’re juggling or you’re not. “My heart rate was constantly escalating,” says Kapral. “I had to come to a dead stop a few times to get it under control.”
The physical toll of joggling an ultra became apparent around the 14-hour mark. “My arms hurt, and I couldn’t face the thought of running for three more hours,” he said. “I just kept telling myself to keep my eyes on the balls and not think about what’s ahead.”
Kapral, who was paced on his final loop by his friend, Ontario ultra race director Erin McDougall, struggled through extreme fatigue and physical pain. “I wanted nothing more than to lie down at the side of the trail and cry,” he recalled. “I was really at the end of my rope on the last few loops.” He had to push through, juggling while managing the pain in his arms, which had endured 150,000 tosses and catches over the course of the race.
While Kapral didn’t hit his 100-mile target, he succeeded in breaking a decade-old world record. “It was fun and motivating,” he said. “As ridiculous as it is, I knew I was doing something no one had done before.”
