Evren Ozka is the founder and CEO of luxury footwear brand MALLET London. ARCHIVE

Fom struggling to run a kilometre to smashing records across the Gulf, Evren Ozka’s story proves that sometimes the boldest first step is the one that changes everything. The founder and CEO of luxury footwear brand MALLET London, the father of two, and a four-time world record holder has built a reputation for doing things differently. Based between Dubai and London, Evren has become one of the region’s most inspiring ultra-endurance runners, setting records that many seasoned athletes would hesitate to attempt. In 2024, he broke the world record for the fastest crossing of the UAE on foot. A year later, he returned to make history again, running across Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE in just three weeks, breaking national running records in all three countries. The achievement saw him cover nearly 900km, including a 630km UAE crossing that finished on UAE National Day, making the feat especially meaningful for the entrepreneur who has called the UAE home for several years. Yet Evren’s journey did not begin on a running track. “I hit rock bottom in my personal life,” he recalls. “Covid had stripped everything back and I needed something radical, not a hobby, a lifeline.” With no races available except a brutal 100-mile trail run in Turkey, Evren signed up despite having no training, no racing experience and little idea what awaited him. “I somehow managed to finish it,” he says. “That race changed my life.” Running became part of a broader personal transformation that included getting sober and rebuilding his life from the ground up. Today, his training revolves around consistency rather than perfection. “I train around a busy business schedule, early mornings, late nights, flights. It’s not pretty, it’s not always optimal, but it’s relentless. Consistency over perfection, every time.” That philosophy forms the heart of his recent talk, Do or Die: How a 100 Mile Race Saved My Life. “It’s not about pace or podiums,” he says. “It’s about what running can actually do to a person when they need it most.” While his list of achievements continues to grow, Evren says his proudest accomplishment remains his record-breaking Gulf trilogy in 2025. “The records themselves are nice, but what I’m most proud of is the consistency it required. Not one big day. Three countries, sustained over three weeks, all the way to the finish line in each one.” Surprisingly, for a man who has spent hundreds of kilometres on the road, his advice about gear is refreshingly simple. “Many runners worry too much about the latest watch or recovery tech,” he says. “Just get out there and run.” And for those waiting for the perfect moment to begin? “Don’t wait until you’re ready. When I started, I certainly wasn’t ready, but I did it anyway. The hardest runs of your life will also be the most important ones, not because of the finish line, but because of who you have to become to get there.” Perhaps the biggest surprise is that motivation does not come naturally to him every day. “People assume I leap out of bed every morning ready to run. That’s rarely the case,” he says. “There is no secret on how to keep showing up. You just have to do it.” PDG/Expat Media

10 questions with Evren Ozka

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do? I’m Evren, founder and CEO of MALLET London, a luxury footwear brand I started in 2015. I’m also a four-time World Record holder and ultra-endurance runner. I’m based between London and Dubai, I’m a dad of two boys, and I’ve somehow turned a deep obsession with running into something that’s redefined who I am as a person and as an entrepreneur. How did you get into running? I hit rock bottom in my personal life. Covid had stripped everything back and I needed something radical, not a hobby, a lifeline. The only race available at the time was a 100-mile trail race in Turkey. No marathons, no parkruns, nothing beginner friendly. So I entered it with no training, no experience, and no idea what I was doing. I somehow managed to finish it. That race changed my life. What does your current training look like? It’s built around volume and specificity for whatever the next big challenge is. I train around a busy business schedule, early mornings, late nights, flights. It’s not pretty, it’s not always optimal, but it’s relentless. Consistency over perfection, every time. Tell us more about your talk Do or Die: How a 100 Mile Race Saved My Life It’s the story of hitting rock bottom, getting sober, and entering a 100-mile trail race with no training and no experience. Everything that came after, the world records and the purpose, started on that trail. It’s not about pace or podiums. It’s about what running can actually do to a person when they need it most. What’s the race or achievement you’re most proud of and why? In December 2025 I ran across three countries in three weeks, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE, breaking the national running record in all three. The records themselves are nice, but what I’m most proud of is the consistency it required. Not one big day. Three countries, sustained over three weeks, all the way to the finish line in each one. What’s your must-have piece of running gear or tech? Nothing! Many runners worry too much about the latest watch or recovery tech. Just get out there and run. The gear should complement your running, not be the focus. What would you tell a runner who is just starting out? Don’t wait until you’re ready. When I started, I certainly wasn’t ready but I did it anyway. The hardest runs of your life will also be the most important ones, not because of the finish line, but because of who you have to become to get there. One thing most people don’t know about you? People look at someone like me and assume I leap out of bed every morning ready to run. That’s rarely the case. It’s just as hard for me as it is for the next person. There is no secret on how to keep showing up. You just have to do it. This story also appears in the Expat Media Special Edition magazine
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