TransPerfect-Sponsored Crossing of Atacama Desert by Ultramarathon Champion Michele Graglia Officially Recognized as World Record
Guinness World Records Certifies Graglia’s Eight-Day Run as Fastest Ever
NEW YORK and SANTIAGO, CHILE – Ultramarathon champion and extreme athlete Michele Graglia was officially certified as the new Guinness World Record holder for the fastest-ever crossing of Chile’s Atacama Desert on foot. Graglia accomplished the unprecedented feat in approximately 8.5 days as part of the TransPerfect Atacama Desert Crossing Project.
Graglia’s official crossing time of 8 days, 16 hours, and 58 minutes shattered the previous fastest known time, and was achieved by running the equivalent of 2 to 3 marathons per day. The successful attempt was sponsored by TransPerfect, the world’s largest provider of language and technology solutions for global business.
TransPerfect President and CEO Phil Shawe commented, “Before TransPerfect's decision to sponsor the crossing, many members of our management had the opportunity to spend quality time with Michele. We can attest that his super-human feats of athleticism are only bested by his strength of character and his desire to help others.”
Graglia remarked, “I am so grateful to TransPerfect for their sponsorship and to my support team who accompanied me. The Atacama is one of the most challenging environments on earth, and the crossing certainly allowed me the opportunity to test my limits as an athlete. Just completing the crossing was personal triumph that I will always treasure, but the fact that Guinness has now recognized it as a world record makes it even more meaningful.”
About Michele Graglia
A native Italian and former international model who lived in Miami, New York City, and Milan as part of his modeling career, in 2011 Michele discovered his true passion resided far away from the cameras and jet-set lifestyle. He then started running ultramarathons and in January 2012 he won a 50-mile race through the Everglades in South Florida. Since then, he has won virtually every race he has entered.
Specializing in trail and extreme races through some of the most demanding terrain on Earth, Michele has run over 25 ultras to date, including several 100 miles or longer. He now resides in Los Angeles, California where he balances his life between ultra running, yoga teaching, guiding hikes, endurance coaching, and nutritional planning.
About TransPerfect
TransPerfect is the world’s largest provider of language services and technology solutions for global business. From offices in over 90 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 4,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect’s GlobalLink® Product Suite to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.