Deepak Shukla has been a runner since he was a teenager. The sport comes easily to him, although he has had his share of finishes and DNFs.

The 38-year-old digital marketing manager did the Chicago Marathon, his first, in 4:40.

From there, he crossed over to the dark side: ultras. Rather than completing a 50K or 50-mile race, he opted for a 100K.

From there, he tackled the hundo, with mixed results.

In December, he will attempt his first 200-mile race: the Centurion Winter Downs, a single loop around the south of England (He is English, after all.) Runners get 96 hours to complete this feat.

We talk about his running career, the ups and downs of ultras and whether he listens to music on race day.

Very interesting person, now based in Northwest Italy.