Thijs Van Werde — 350 km of Perseverance, Even When No One Thinks It's Still 'Possible'

Some achievements are so great that you almost don't dare to share them, for fear they'll sound exaggerated. And yet: what Thijs Van Werde did during the Legends Trail is exactly such a story. One you can only truly grasp when you realize everything that was involved along the way.

From 100 km to 350+ km: a journey no one saw coming

Just one year ago, Thijs walked his first 100 km in the Hageland, followed by an 80 km race in the Voer region. For many, that's already a finish line—a “once in a lifetime” experience that takes weeks to recover from.

But for Thijs, it was more of a starting point.

In September, his first 200 km followed in Clervaux during the Great Escape. There he achieved an honorable 20th place—not as a random outlier, but as a sign that he had found something: a combination of discipline, curiosity, and an exceptional will to push boundaries.

Since then, he has already completed three races of 200 km. A Backyard Ultra, De Bello Gallico... every time the same pattern: not just starting, but above all, finishing. And in the meantime, the idea grows that even “more” is possible.

Until that one logical, but at the same time unlikely next step: the Legends Trail.

The Legends Trail: the kind of challenge many start, but few finish

The Legends Trail is not your average running race. This is a test not only of your fitness, but also of your character. Many starters, few finishers. The kind of event where the distance isn't the only obstacle—but especially everything that distance does to your mind.

Keep running after all those kilometers

According to Strava, Thijs put up numbers that are almost hard to comprehend:

• 363.55 km
• 12,424 meters elevation gain
• 77:47:00 hours on the road

That's almost three days of constant movement—enduring, making decisions, eating and drinking, functioning—while your body has long since started to protest. All of this with just 45 minutes of sleep.

Snow, rain, frost... and still moving forward

What makes this story even more impressive: this was no 'beautiful' trail under ideal conditions. Thijs encountered almost everything along the way:

Having to cross ice-cold water

• snow, rain, and frost
• wading through rivers
• sleeping outside on the ground in freezing temperatures
• continuing with a body that is increasingly loudly saying 'stop'

Weather conditions with a capital 'W'

And yet he crossed the finish line within the set time.

As a family, we honestly considered this impossible. Not because we don't believe in him—but because as outsiders, we estimate based on logic, comfort, and 'normal' limits. And Thijs? He seems to draw energy from the very idea that boundaries are often mentally negotiated.

Why Thijs does this: the story behind the kilometers

Anyone who only sees the numbers misses the core.

Thijs and his lovely wife have had to process multiple setbacks. And when their son Wes was born much too soon, Thijs made a decision that would reshape his life: he would fully commit to (ultra) endurance sports.

Not as an escape, but as focus. Not to run away, but to regain some control, strength, and direction.

He started 'classic': first a couple of marathons, building up the kilometers, finding rhythm. Then came the ultra—step by step harder, longer, deeper.

And almost every time, he says the same words, simple and powerful:

“I do this for Wes.”

That sentence changes everything. Because suddenly 350 km is no longer just a sporting goal, but a promise. An inner engine that keeps running when circumstances are tough, when the night is long, when stopping seems most logical.

Alone on the road and fighting the conditions

"Impossible" doesn't exist (or at least, much less than we think)

What moves me most is how Thijs talks about it. He says himself it's more a belief, a psychological victory than a purely physical achievement.

And at the same time: you definitely shouldn't underestimate that physical achievement. But the difference is the order.

Not: I can do it physically, so I believe it But: I believe it, so I find a way to physically keep going

That's a huge lesson—especially for entrepreneurs.

Why this inspires entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship can sometimes feel like an ultra. Not because of the kilometers, but because of the duration, the uncertainty, and that moment when you think: “this isn't going to work.” And then still go on.

What you can take from Thijs’s achievement:

1. Start before you think you’re 'ready' Thijs started a year ago with 100 km. He didn’t wait for perfection.
2. Grow step by step, but stay ambitious 100 → 200 → multiple 200s → 350+. Extreme, but built up consistently.
3. Conditions are rarely ideal Snow, rain, frost—and still he kept moving. In business it’s no different: timing, market, cashflow… it’s rarely 'ideal.'
4. Your 'why' takes you further than your 'can' When your reason is bigger than your discomfort, you can go further than you think. For Thijs, that reason has a name: Wes.
5. Finishing is a skill Many people start projects. Few finish them. Finishing can be trained—just like endurance.

Respect, pride, and above all: thanks for the inspiration

Thijs has proven that 'impossible' sometimes simply means: we just haven't tried it at the level of commitment it takes yet.

What he did during the Legends Trail is not just a sports achievement. It's a story about mindset, about staying true to your goal, about keeping on going when no one expects you to make it anymore—maybe not even yourself.

And that's why I want to share this. Because it can touch entrepreneurs. Because it shows what's possible if you keep believing, keep moving, and keep choosing forward.

Congratulations, Thijs. And Wes: this is for you.