United States

Michael Wardian

Professional Ultra-runner

I have been a fan of Polar since I got serious about my training in 2001. I noticed that a lot of the top coaches and athletes trained using heart rate data and I thought if I wanted to make the next step in my evolution as an athlete, I should learn about how to train in a more measured and consistent way. I found Polar was the most trustworthy and reliable brand of heart rate monitor out there. Polar has always impressed me with the quick, accurate and reliable data in an easy to use interface. I use the data to train and race at the correct intensity, regulate my effort levels, recover and ultimately push myself beyond anything I thought possible but in a safe, calculated and efficient manner.

About

Professional endurance athlete with a focus on marathons and ultra marathons but I race any distance from 1 mile up to hundreds of miles. I grew up playing lacrosse and found running my junior year at Michigan State University. I decided to run the Boston Marathon and was hooked and want to continue to evolve and grow in the sport.

My major accomplishments are: numerous Guinness World Records, Team USA member, USATF National Champion, IAU 50k & 100k Medalist, 2:17:49 Marathon PR.

I have been using Polar products for over 20 years and have been impressed with the accuracy and quality. Polar allows me to push my limits and do so with thought, deliberate analysis and consistency.

Discipline:

Running (marathon & ultra-marathon)

Born:

April 12, 1974

Personal bests:

14:55min (5K, Kentlands, 2006)

30:55min (10K, Pikes Peak, 2013)

51:25min (10 miler, Cherry Blossom, 2009)

1:06:30h (Half marathon, Philadelphia Distance run, 2011)

2:17:49h (Marathon, Grandma’s Marathon, 2011)

5:21:00h (50 miler, Comrades Marathon, 2010)

6:42:11h (100K, 2011 IAU-World Championships)

15:27:31h (100 miler, Great Cranberry Island, 2018)

Pre-race ritual:

Taping my nipples.

Proudest sporting moment:

Running 631 miles across Israel in 2019. It took all the years of training, racing and competing to have the skill set to be able to do it and it was something that terrified me but I did it.