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Since 2012, GlobalLimits has committed to organising multi-stage races (6 stages, 200+/- km) that everyone has the opportunity to shape their own race the way they want to enjoy/endure it. 

We are here to provide the meticulously selected running trails, spectacular cultural backdrops, safety measures and the opportunity to meet like-minded people. And of course, unforgettable experiences. 

You do not need to carry your supplies. Focus on the trail and the experience. We carry your supplies from campy to camp. We organise, you run.

Our races are committed to the 3S principles: Sustainability, Social commitment and Sportsmanship exchange. 

Sustainability

GlobalLimits is a company that supports sustainability. Our small and professional team ensures the minimal carbon footprints and in setting up races aboard. We also facilitate and encourage our participants to learn about local cultures and its people. 

Social commitment

We engage with the local communities, work with the local service providers and employ locals to bring direct economic impacts to the communities. We also support various social program that bring positive impacts. 

Sportsmanship exchange

We have a program to inviting local running talents to participate in all our race locations. Through this program, local athletes could experience first hand endurance races, showcase their talents and exchange both sports and cultural experiences with our participants. 

Join our races - with our four race locations, you are going to find a challenge that you want to shape. We have no Limits! 

Stefan Betzelt/Germany - Founder and CEO of GlobalLimits

Stefan was born and lives in Wiesbaden/Germany. He founded GlobalLimits in 2012. Stefan has a wealth of extreme racing experience, having participated in many of the most gruelling ultra races around the world. He also participated in about 20 city-marathons (PB 2:46) and successsfully climbed the Kilimanjaro and the Mount Aconcagua.

Stefan has visited more than 101 countries and learnt a great deal about different cultures and people. He now makes use of this experience to select outstanding and unique locations for the GlobalLimits races.

Stefan has worked as a managing director for some of the leading global financial institutions before he retired in 2006 to become a self employed financial and personnel consultant but now is full time focused on GlobalLimits.

Stefan is also a member of the Curatoship of the Institute of Sports Medicine in Frankfurt/Germany.

Mario Machado, Lisbon/Portugal - Course Director

Mario, a physical Education teacher and international athletic coach, is the technical director of the Lisbon Half Marathon (30.000+ runners), the Portugal Half Marathon, the Lisbon Marathon and the organizer, technical director and controller of the race of various other high profile road races in Portugal and international trail races.

Since 2009 he is also the "Controller of the race" of the Marathon des Sables in Morrocco.

Mario is the publisher and director of "Spiridon-Portugal" running magazin since 1978.

He is also a very experienced runner himself. He just finished his 100th Marathon/Ultra at GlobalLimits Cambodia 2017.

Mario already served as a volunteer for the inaugural race in Albania in 2017 and in Cambodia 2018 as well as being the course director in Albania 2018 and 2019 and Sao Tome 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024

Dr Risa Garcia, Albuquerque/USA - Doctor

Dr Risa Garcia is an Emergency Medicine physician from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She attended Saint Louis University School of Medicine then completed her Emergency Medicine residency and Fellowship in Wilderness and Austere Medicine at the University of New Mexico. She also holds a Diploma in Mountain Medicine. She currently works for Presbyterian hospital in Albuquerque. Although she is not a runner herself, she has experience providing medical support for several staged ultramarathons. She loves supporting athletes in remote and interesting locations.

She is a great lover of the outdoors and you can usually find her mountain biking, backpacking, or climbing on her days off.

Risa already served as a doctor in GlobalLimits Albania 2023.

Mia Derstine, Denver/USA - Race Doctor

Dr. Mia Derstine is an emergency medicine physician with UCHealth at Highlands Ranch Hospital.  She did her residency at the University of Chicago.  She then did a Wilderness and Environmental Medicine Fellowship at the University of Colorado, where she is now the associate fellowship director.  Her academic interests include women in the wilderness, education, and plant toxicology.  She has experience with flight medicine, international medical transport, austere medicine at Summit Camp in Greenland, and ultramarathon medicine in Mongolia.  She is currently the co-chair for the Wilderness Medical Society summer conferences.  Her preferred vacation is walking for days on end with a (kind of) heavy backpack. You can otherwise find her at home in Denver with her husband and pup Ginger.

Mia already served as a race doctor at GlobalLimits Cambodia in 2023 and Peaks of the Balkans 2025.

Geert Meese, Tielt/Belgium - Volunteer

Geert is a Belgian medic who decided to work a little bit less and spending  more time doing his passions: multi stage racing ( 100 km del Sahara, Marathon des Sables , Grand to Grand ….) , marathon racing , or volunteering in multi stage races ( Spain, Portugal, Oman …). a passion he sheares with his wife.
If not working or racing , his time is spend abroad with a high preference for unbeaten tracks in Asia or South America.  Always enthusiastic  to help participants to make their dreams come true.

Geert already served as a volunteer for GlobalLimits in Cambodia 2015 + 2016 + 2019, Bhutan 2016 + 2017 + 2018 + 2019 and in Albania 2017 +2018 + 2019 + 2020 and Sao Tomé 2022.

Daniel Hendle/Great Britain - Volunteer

Danile is very passionate about life, he loves travelling, fitness and meeting new people, it fills him with joy to listen to people's stories and inspires me to create my own. He works as an electrician so he is good with his hands and happy to get stuck in with hard work,  He has ran multiple races with his toughest being 2 marathons in the Sahara desert over two days.

Gerard Noubel/France - Volunteer

Gerard was trained in a French military academy and became after a gendarmerie officer (35 years). During his career he worked as manager in several kind of units in charge of public order, public security, general security, protection of government buildings, in the mainland, overseas (New Caledonia) and abroad (Ukraine)...
He was trained in the German Army (paratrooper, infantry) and in the British Police College.

 

Thi Xuan Hang Pang/Vietnam - Volunteer

Bernd Nordhausen – Singapore - Volunteer

Bernd has been an aspiring ultra marathoner for 15 years having completed stage races in Sahara, Oxfam Trailwalker Sydney, Moontrekker Hong Kong, and several regional races around SE Asia. Most recently he completed Global Limits Bhutan - The Last Secret. These days he just aspires to finish and spends more of his time volunteering including races in Namibia, Nepal, Vietnam, and Finland, and crewing a friend at Tor des Géants.
Originally from Germany, Bernd has called Singapore his home for more than half of his life, and is now in official semi-retirement.

Bernd already served as a volunteer at GlobalLimits Cambodia in 2023 and was a runner in GlobalLimits Bhutan 2023.

Tim Stief, Zurich/Switzerland - Photographer

Tim is Head of Digital Marketing at Witwinkel AG in Zurich/Switzerland.

He is an experienced photographer who has served in plenty of international and national events.

Tim already served as a photographer at GlobalLimits Peaks of the Balkans 2025.