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What if the most important finish line has nothing to do with a podium? We sit down with Romanian ultra-triathlete Marius Butuc, a self-taught swimmer who learned by watching the next lane and never stopped moving forward. From the Ironman icons of Europe to the brutal circuits of ultra-triathlon, Marius shows how resilience, curiosity, and honest self-assessment can take you places training plans can’t.

If you’ve wondered what truly makes triple Iron, quintuple, and deca formats hard, Marius explains the hidden traps: why triple continuous destroys the sleep-deprived, how deca one-per-day turns recovery into a race within the race, and where continuous deca becomes a masterclass in nutrition, pacing, and humility. He’s now headed to Taiwan chasing an unofficial “Deca Triple Crown” after completing the daily and split versions—a bid not for glory, but for completion with integrity.  Follow the Taiwan Deca here.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Oceanman
• Trans Sweden Triathlon
• Infinitiman 
• Fun Science-Ciencia Divertida
• Bad Radkersburg Triple 
• Ultra Biking Sardinia 
• TransAmTri
• Abisko National Park
• Book Title : Solitary. The Story of a Triathlon (only in Romanian for now)
• IM Frankfurt 
• IM Lanzarote
• Challenge Amsterdam
• IM Nice
• IM Mallorca
• Challenge Israman 
• Swissman Extreme
• Challenge Madrid
• Infinitri 515 Race Director : Manu Garcia (S5E4)
• Infinitri Triathlon
• UM Florida
• Taiwan Deca Continuous
• Colmar Deca Split
• IUTA | International Ultra Triathlon Association
• “Unofficial Triple Crown of Deca”

Shout outs and mentions in this episode:

• Manu Garcia 
• Jan Frodeno 
• Fabio Spiteri
• Bogomir Dolenc
• Giampy
• Wayne Kurtz 
• Kristian Kristiansen   

Come for the extreme triathlon wisdom—unsupported tactics, gear judgment, sleep strategy, and mental frameworks. Stay for the human story of failure reimagined, memory recovered, and finishing defined on your own terms. If this conversation moved you, follow the journey, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge to start, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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Show Contributors:
Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music : Run by 331

For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com
Facebook: @515TheUltraPodcast
Insta : @515theultrapodcast
Youtube : @515TheUltraPodcast
Email : [email protected]