Bend’s Renee Metivier set treadmill running world records in the women’s half-marathon, marathon and 50K.

Mario Mendoza had already been on the treadmill for four hours before Renee Metivier even started.

That provided plenty of motivation for Metivier, who proceeded to break three treadmill running world records earlier this month as part of the Chaski Challenge.

The virtual event on June 6 was organized by pro runner Tyler Andrews, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to bring runners together and to highlight his new coaching company, Chaski Endurance Collective.

Three pro runners from Bend took part, including Mendoza, Metivier and Max King, who used the event to help raise funds to organize a free youth running camp in Bend in August.

Mendoza, 34, who had broken the 50-kilometer treadmill world record at Madras High School in January, this time would break the 100K world record, finishing in 6 hours, 39 minutes, 25 seconds.

“Talk about motivation, when you see somebody suffering for four hours and they’re going to be with you for most of your race,” Metivier said this week.

“He finished right before I finished the marathon. Talk about inspiring. He never gave up, and he was hurting for hours.”

Getting an extra kick from Mendoza, Metivier, 38, broke the women’s half marathon (1:19:29), marathon (2:41:11) and 50K (3:11:38) treadmill world records. She shattered the 50K record by some 40 minutes.

“I felt it at mile 22, but I was surprised,” said Metivier, who competed in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February. “I think because I was so focused on all these different records at the same time, it really broke it up for me. For me, it was the unknown. I think a lot of us don’t know what we’re capable of. I felt good all the way to the end. I was able to hold on and even pick it up at the end. It just all came together, and for me, it was great the whole time.”

Mendoza’s 50K world record had already been broken twice since January, and King and Andrews raced head-to-head to attempt to set yet another record for 50K. Mendoza figured he wouldn’t be able to beat both of them, so he upped his distance to a grueling 100K, about 62 miles.

“It was brutal,” Mendoza said. “It was pretty awful. I thought I had a very outside shot at making this one. I think I just had a perfect day. I was starting to have a rough patch around 35 miles. I knew if I could get to that two-thirds mark, I could stay in it. It was a lot more motivating having my friends around me. I just tried to stay positive, because it started to get really tough.”

Andrews would get the world record in the 50K, finishing in 2:42:51, and King is now No. 2 on the list, finishing just a couple minutes back.

“That was the most exciting race,” Metivier said. “Max and Tyler were duking it out the entire time, and they both broke the record.”

The virtual event was free for anyone who registered, offering a variety of distances and relay options with up to $6,000 of prizes on the line in the open races. But the pros simply wanted to break as many treadmill world records in a day as possible.

Mendoza recruited Metivier and King, and together they hauled treadmills in a U-Haul to a youth center in Eugene, where they could run at near sea level and not be at an altitude disadvantage.

“Mario wanted some new women’s records and some female participation,” Metivier said. “He wanted to make sure that all were represented. We were racing for multiple reasons. I’ve never done a treadmill event or race. A lot of us are looking for ways to not only challenge ourselves but also help others stay motivated. A lot of the world needs some positivity right now.

“We really wanted to do this for something greater. I think that’s what led to all three of us running amazing.”

The free weeklong youth running camp in August is designed to promote diversity and help underprivileged youth, according to Mendoza. Those who wish to help donate can to gofundme.com and search “Central Oregon Youth Running Camp.”

Mendoza said that treadmill running events have become popular during the coronavirus pandemic, as many physical races have been canceled or postponed.

“People have been going for these records all over,” he said.

At the 80K mark of his 100K treadmill race, Mendoza was 35 seconds behind world-record pace. But he picked it up the last 12 miles to break the record by 70 seconds.

Mendoza’s pace-per-mile puts into perspective just how far and how fast he ran on the treadmill that day: 6:25 per mile for 62 miles.

“It kind of freaks me out myself,” he said. “I definitely learned a lot from it. Right around 38 to 45 miles, it was so hard mentally to know that I had a marathon still, and that I had been running that long. I just pictured myself on a hard, long run with Max or Renee. Around 57 miles, I was back on world-record pace.

“From there, I knew I was going to get it.”