This Guinness Record-Holding Marathoner Just Went Vegan … and He’s Kicking Butt

We’ve all heard it – you need to eat meat in order to be a good athlete. After all, how can you get enough protein to perform without steak?! Well, more and more, famous athletes (and science) are proving that you can eat 100 percent plant-based and still perform at the top of your game – if not better.

Jerry Knox, a teacher and long distance runner from California, has broken not one but several Guinness World Records. In April, he broke the record for dribbling two basketballs while running a full marathon. What is especially of interest here, is that since January, he has been transitioning to a fully vegan diet.

Before anyone asks, the lack of animal products in his diet does not make him any less of a fantastic runner. “Do I miss meat and dairy?,” he said in his conversation with VegNews, “No, I like my finish times and flat stomach too much.” Only last week, Knox completed another 100-mile marathon.

Previously, Knox broke the world record for jumping rope throughout an entire marathon and finished another in just under three hours. Also – he once ran a marathon wearing German lederhosen. He usually runs a marathon once every month and is now known for his incredible determination and focus on what he wants to get done – once he sets a goal for himself, he basically goes on and never gives up until it is achieved.

Not only is Knox making a change himself, he also contributes to making other people see that eating meat is seriously not at all good – to any party involved – especially through his classes. As a geography teacher, Knox teaches his students, among other issues, about the environmental impact of animal agriculture. “I know for a fact a few students over the years have become vegetarians because of my class,” he told VegNews.

Now that is an impact we would wish more teachers to have on their students!

Image source: Jerry Knox/Twitter