From Firefighter to Finish Lines: Andreas Djiakouris’ Ultramarathon Athlete Journey

A Life Built on Endurance – Ultramarathon Athlete Journey

Growing up in Cyprus, Andreas was drawn early to the idea of testing his limits. He began in the world of track and field endurance events, then found his way into triathlon after his military service. His passion quickly turned into achievement: Cyprus Champion at the Olympic distance in 2015, and a proud member of the national triathlon team.

He raced across Europe, including a 22nd place finish at the European Triathlon Championship in Kitzbühel, Austria, and completed three grueling IRONMAN triathlons. But it wasn’t enough. Something inside him wanted more — wanted harder, wanted deeper.

He turned to the world of ultramarathon athlete journey, where distances stretch beyond 100 kilometers, and every race feels less like a competition and more like a pilgrimage.

“Why Do You Do This to Yourself?”

Ask Andreas why he runs for hours, or days through mountains, deserts, and storms, and even he struggles to give a clean answer.

“Ultramarathons are a journey, an experience, a test,” he says. “Your mind takes you to places you cannot go if you don’t push it so much. You feel emotions you can’t feel under normal conditions — and all these are rare, beautiful, and addictive.”

In a world obsessed with comfort and shortcuts, Andreas Djiakouris voluntarily seeks out pain and uncertainty. And in doing so, he finds something most people never touch: a raw, unfiltered connection to the limits and limitless potential of being human.

The Races That Redefined Him

Two races stand out in Andreas’ mind as crucibles that forged new parts of him: the Marathon des Sables and the Tor des Géants.

Marathon des Sables — 250 kilometers through the Sahara Desert over seven days. Carrying everything he needed to survive in a backpack. No communication with the outside world. Scorching days, freezing nights, endless sand.

“There were so many difficulties to manage — carrying food and equipment, surviving the heat and cold, dealing with the sand that makes it incredibly difficult to run,” he recalls. “But quitting was never an option.”

Despite the hardship, Andreas finished 20th overall out of 1,300 competitors—and 4th in his age group — becoming the first Cypriot to complete the legendary race.

Tor des Géants was another kind of monster: 330 kilometers through the rugged Italian Alps, with 24,000 meters of vertical ascent. Think Everest, climbed three times — without stopping.

“I slept less than five hours over four and a half days,” he says. “I had hallucinations. I had to stay focused to avoid falling asleep while running. Endless uphills, endless downhills — the body slowly destroyed itself. Especially the downhills — too much strain.”

Rain, snow, near-hypothermia — he endured it all. Finishing 56th out of 1,100 starters (of which fewer than half made it to the end) was not just a race result. It was a triumph of survival.