Vajin Armstrong

About

Vajin Armstrong (born Luke Armstrong on 12 May 1980) is a New Zealand ultra-distance runner from Christchurch who adopted his spiritual name — meaning 'swift, strong, spirited and heroic' — following a profound awakening in his late teens that led him to join the Sri Chinmoy Centre and dedicate his athletic life to the practice of self-transcendence through endurance running. A member of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team and a HOKA New Zealand athlete, he holds three consecutive wins at the Kepler Challenge — New Zealand's most prestigious 60km mountain trail race through Fiordland National Park — with a best time of 4 hours 55 minutes, alongside a victory at the Swiss Alpine Marathon in Davos that made him the first New Zealander ever to win the historic alpine race. He has competed and placed on the podium at races across America, Australia, Europe, and Asia over more than two decades of international competition, and at 44 won The Spectacle 100K in 2024 — demonstrating the rare longevity that characterises runners who treat endurance as something larger than competition. Armstrong integrates the philosophy of Sri Chinmoy — who taught that athletic aspiration is a path to inner transformation — into every aspect of his training and racing, viewing running as meditation in motion rather than mere physical performance.

Notable Wins

• — Kepler Challenge ×3 (consecutive wins
• — best time 4:55)
• — Swiss Alpine Marathon Davos (first New Zealander to win)
• — The Spectacle 100K 2024

Race History