4Endurance Fuels Ultra Distance Guinness World Record

Ultra-endurance cyclist Marko Baloh has shown many times what he's capable of on a bicycle. In 2025, his list of accomplishments saw a new entry — he set the best time at a distance of 1000 km outdoors.

His achievement, recognized not only by the World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA), but also by the Guinness World Records, earned him two records — his best time for 1000 km and being the oldest cyclist to travel 500 miles outdoors within 24 hours.

Like all his challenges, proper sports nutrition played a key role. Marko stopped experimenting a long time ago and prefers to rely on tested products. Therefore, helping him in his success were also the supplements from Nduranz and 4Energy, which provided him with the necessary energy to sustain his 29 hours of cycling.

Marko, you broke two world records — the best time for 1000 km outdoors and being the oldest cyclist to travel 500 miles outdoors within 24 hours.

Yeah, I was surprised, I didn't expect that. I broke several records that day, but these two counted for Guinness World Records.

I expected to break the 1000 km record, as most younger cyclists after 24 hours of cycling don't want to spend 2 more hours to reach the 1000 km mark. So this one was still available to me. As I'm not that young anymore, I can hardly compete with younger cyclists.

But I was surprised to break the 500-mile record. I don't know who nominated me for this record, but I gladly accept it. However, somebody from the official union already hinted to me that someone may soon try to break this record. 

Did you have an estimated finishing time in mind before the race?

After my past attempts to break the 1000 km indoor and outdoor records, I had a good sense of what I can accomplish. I also considered my age.

The goal was to finish 1000 km in under 30 hours. In other words, if my end time had been over 30 hours, I'd be very disappointed. But even at 30 hours, I would have broken the record by one hour.

Marko needed 29 hours, 23 minutes, and 10 seconds to travel 1000 km. 

In terms of distance traveled within 24 hours, I was hoping to get closer to the world record. I did break it in the 50+ age group, but I knew that would happen. But for any age group, I was far off, probably also because the conditions were not ideal. And, of course, because I'm getting older.

Did you experience a crisis during the ride, either a physical or psychological one?

At the very beginning, due to poor conditions, it happened to me for the first time that after 5 hours I was depressed, and I complained to my team that I didn't see a point in continuing and that I wasn't sure whether I wanted to go on.

Whenever I have been chasing records, my average speed in the first 10 hours has been about 40 km/h. But this time it was so hot that I had salt marks on my jersey, my power output was not on point, and that made me question my will to endure for 20 more hours. My average speed was closer to 37 km/h, and my mind started racing.

Then my wife, Irma, encouraged me over the headphones, and it helped me a lot. I don't think there was a chance I'd actually quit, but I did consider it.

Usually, there aren't any problems up to the 15th hour, but then your performance starts to decline, and that's when your final result is determined. This time the crisis occurred much sooner, but it turned out that at night as the air cooled, I became faster, which is also something that had never happened before.

At no point was I worried about the 1000 km record, as I only needed an average speed of 33 km/h to break it, and I was well on target. But if my speed had dropped below this threshold, I'd seriously have reconsidered the point of my attempt.

Your attempt took place at a hippodrome. Why did you choose that location and what parameters did you consider?

Generally, WUCA's requirements are not strict. The only thing I'm aware of is the longest lap distance, which is about 5 km. I did not stress about it, as I chose a familiar location that had already been confirmed by the organization.

My attempt took place on a track inside the hippodrome. I think it was used by judges and camera crews during harness races, but it's often used for training by the local cycling club. It's nothing special, two meters wide, but it was perfect for me.

Obviously, it had to be approved beforehand by WUCA. We had to walk the 900-meter lap with a measuring wheel and send the data to the organization for approval. As we had already completed this process in 2008, when I was trying to break one of the old world records, the simplest decision was to use a venue that had already been approved. 

Such a feat is also demanding in terms of nutrition. What products did you use and in what amounts?

Over the years, I have perfected my energy intake plan. I don’t follow trends, I still count kilocalories instead of grams of carbohydrates.

I mainly used Nrgy Drink 90. I discovered a while ago that I need to consume at least 300 kcal per hour and that I can't go over 400 kcal per hour.

I must drink one bottle every hour, in which I mix 3.5 scoops of Nrgy Drink 90. This amounts to 330 kcal (83 g CHO). The rest of the energy up to 400 kcal came from consuming half of an energy bar each hour. I constantly alternated between my energy bars — Training Bar, Salty Bar, and 4Energy Bar.

At times, I also use energy gels. I believe this time I took 3 or 4 Nrgy Gels 45. I like to use them at night when I consume an energy gel with caffeine to help me stay awake.

Nutrition is likely the most important part of ultra-endurance events. Over the years, my body has adapted to high intakes, but it's paramount that you don't have issues with nutrition. I know many cases of people faster than me who tackled such a feat, but they ended up making mistakes. They start at high speeds in the first few hours, but then they run out of energy because they don’t consume enough. Nutrition is crucial.

I found what works for me, and I don't change it. The only thing I change are the flavors, so I don't get tired of a single one, but everything else remains the same.

Did you also eat anything salty during the feat?

No. Usually, during feats that last multiple days, I eat something salty. This time I didn't. During shorter and faster races, like this one, nutrition must be based only on sugar.

Why did you choose the Nduranz supplements?

I've tried many supplements, but Nduranz has always suited me best. They also regularly introduce new products, and so far, they have all worked well for me.

It's very easy to dose the amounts, I never had any digestive issues, and I love the flavors. This is important, since I consume large amounts and if I didn't like the flavors, hitting the required energy intake would be difficult.

Once you get used to certain supplements, and they work for you, you don't want to change them.

Did you monitor certain data during the ride, such as heart rate and power? How does this data influence your energy intake during the ride?

This data doesn’t affect my energy intake. My nutrition strategy remains the same, regardless of the length of the event. During short sessions, the intake is lower, while anything lasting over 3 hours follows the same nutrition plan as the one for ultra-distance events.

The only adjustments might be due to logistics, as training sessions are not as well-supported as races, so you have to find water along the way. But I always try to keep my nutrition in training sessions as close as possible to the one in races. 

Did you test your nutritional strategy and train your gut in the weeks leading to the event?

No. I have tested this strategy many times before, and my gut is already used to this kind of intake, so I don't need additional training. 

What products did you use to recover after the event? How long did it take to get back to your normal level? 

Immediately after the event, I drank the recovery drink Regen. This was essential to immediately provide my body with all the necessary nutrients.

Then I had dinner with my team, so I could eat a proper meal, rich in fat and salt. But your appetite is never as big as you think it will be. You think you'll be able to eat everything, but once food is served, you struggle to finish it.

That said, after such an event, you're completely exhausted for a week, and you feel the effects for about a month.

I don't just rest for a whole week, though. The very next day, I did 30 minutes of light training on my trainer to remove the 'dirt' from the legs. And the following day, I went biking outdoors with my wife, doing a light session.

In the second week, you start feeling closer to normal. You still mostly stick to recovery rides and avoid intervals, but the body is already capable of handling serious rides.

Are you satisfied with the whole record-breaking attempt, both in terms of nutrition and other areas?

Yes, very. Everything was perfect, except for the conditions, which is something I can't control.

In terms of organization, team, and nutrition, it all went according to plan. My legs weren't quite performing at the level I expected, but I think that was due to the weather. And possibly my age ...

Where in your career is this feat in terms of difficulty? Is it at the top?

Not at the top, no. It can't be compared to RAAM, where everything lasts several days. Once you experience that, 30 hours doesn't seem like such a big deal. Sure, it is exhausting, especially if you're trying to break a record and you must ride at full power, but it's no match to RAAM.

But this feat was difficult from another point of view. The intensity was very high, with no real rest periods. To break the record, your average speed has to stay above 36 km/h, and any experienced cyclist knows that's no easy feat. You need to be well-prepared. The intake of calories alone is a challenge at such a pulse when producing so many watts. 

Do you already have a new feat in mind?

There are a lot of shorter races missing on my resume that I'd like to complete. I don't think about RAAM anymore, since the financial investment is too high. But if I received funding, I'd probably do it.

There are still some records in my age group that I could break, but I'm too old to compete for the general standings. Maybe, if an interesting challenge comes up, I'll take it on.

Race Across the West has been popular for years, but it's also something I already beat. Last year, they organized RAAM for the first time as an independent race in the East. So I had this idea to try to win both. First the Race Across the West, then flying to the start of the Race Across the East and try to win that one too. This way, I'd ride two thirds of the RAAM track. Between the two races, depending on your speed, there are about 4 days, which is not too bad.

Another race I'm interested in is the race around Austria. It's close to home, but I haven't done it yet. I'd like to try a shorter race, as a longer one requires almost the same team setup as RAAM. So this year, if nothing else pops up, this is the race I'd like to attend.