Russian ultra runner Oleg Kharitonov tells me how he went from an underprivileged childhood in a remote Siberian village during the Soviet Union's period of "stagnation" to becoming the fastest man ever over 100 miles. Oleg also won South Africa's prestigious Comrades Marathon in 2006 and holds two individual and four team gold medals from the 100km European Championships. He currently coaches a number of ultra runners as well as marathon para-athletes. While Oleg's recounting of his experiences had me truly absorbed, his story more broadly follows the contours of life in Russia over the past half century.

Music: Limelight (Michael Howard)