For many, running a marathon represents the pinnacle physical endurance. But an adventure-seeking fifty-seven-strong posse of participants taking part in the Great World Race are on course to take that pinnacle to dizzy heights.
Seven marathons on seven continents in seven days is the unthinkable challenge laid down by the event organisers in a package offering global glimpses, deep pain caves and ultimately unprecedented bragging rights and lasting satisfaction.
Cape Town in South Africa / Africa, Wolf’s Fang Runway in Antarctica, Perth in Australia / Oceania, Abu Dhabi in the UAE / Asia, the Algarve in Portugal / Europe, Cartegena in Columbia / South America and Miami in the USA / North America represent an eclectic mix of countries and cultures, each hosting a standard marathons over 42,2 km for the global adventurers.
Based on a similar formula to that of its predecessor, the World Marathon Challenge, the Great World Race offers participants a once in a lifetime (for most) travel and racing combo, touching all corners of the planet in the wink of an eye.
While few of the fifty-seven would consider themselves competitive elite athletes, each one has been driven to take part by a powerful motivator or cause. For some, it represents part of their own life journey while others are supporting meaningful and valuable societal causes.
While entry to the race at 49 500 Euros (almost one million Rand) does not come cheaply, for participants it offers an experience ‘money can’t buy’.
Under the watchful and professional gaze of race founder, Irish medical doctor, David Kelly, and his team, supported by leading race organisers in each of the destinations, the complexities of race logistics are smoothed over, leaving participants to focus on their mission – running 295 km in just seven days.
Chartered aircraft, the calculated climate emissions of which are offset, serve as both accommodation and transport on the whistle-stop tour, with only Cape Town providing any length of tenure, hosting the race party for three nights for final race preparation and briefing.
This year’s race kicked off with a six-lap course on and around the Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town on Saturday, weather conditions in Antarctica having forced a swop of dates. Wolf’s Fang Runway in Antarctica was to have launched the race but conditions, which would have compromised safe landing and take-off on Saturday, meant the Mother City was given the lead-off honour.
33-year-old distance running adventurer, David Kilgore, broke from the early lead group in the first 7km lap and gradually moved further away from the rest of the field, eventually breaking the tape in 2 hrs 58 min 53 sec, the only finisher under three hours and ten minutes clear of American compatriot, Ryan Fleming.
“The wind was not too bad – in fact I actually enjoyed it as it cooled me down,” said Kilgore, who splits his home time between New York and Miami.
“I started off at 3-hour pace and managed to hold it, although it wasn’t all smooth sailing. I had some spicy pizza for dinner last night which wasn’t a good idea, as I paid for it during the penultimate lap.”
Kilgore’s primary passion is trail running and he has previously enjoyed exploring some of Cape Town’s mountain trails. “I had supper two nights ago with some friends in Cape Town to do the Ultra-trail Cape Town race next weekend.
“Being sponsored by Red Bull gives me the opportunity to take part in events like this,” added Kilgore, who holds the record for Red Bull’s renowned Wings for Life. “I’ve raced many types of events over the years, from ultra-distance trail races to racing up the Empire State Building. I’m able to recover from my racing very quickly so the multi-day events suit me very well.”
Kilgore has recently recovered from injury and hopes his body will hold up to the rigours of the race. “ I tore my ankle ligaments in a race in the Amazon in April and had an operation in June. My ankle was in a cast for several months, so I don’t really know what to expect.
“But it’s a great result today and I’m really excited by it,” Kilgore said, before running off to find a friend further back in the field, cooling off in the ocean and relaxing ahead of catching the plane to Antarctica.
47-year-old Fleming was delighted with his second position. “This is the first time I’ve done anything like this – I’ve run two marathons on back to back weekends, but this is very different! I ran on my own for much of the race once Dave sped away.
“I saw the race advertised at an event expo and thought, if not now, then never. I was in South Africa for the FIFA World Cup and it’s great to be back again to compete in the race.”
Lithuanian bio-tech researcher and adventurer, Roma Pusiene, romped home in first place in the women’s race in 3:46:27, seven minutes clear of Romanian-born American, Jenny Paulson.
Pusiene, who leads a team developing a drug to promote faster wound healing, admits to an addiction for adventure – she recently spent a week dragging sledges through the Norwegian Arctic with her 16 year old son!
“I trained for another north-pole race, but it kept on being cancelled. I didn’t want to waste my training and when I saw this advertised, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve never done anything like this before. Today’s race was easy enough, but that was just the first. I’m sure it will get harder with every race.”
American Great Lakes runner, Ellie Romnes, won the women’s Half Marathon title in Cape Town. “We don’t have hills at home – we just run around the lakes for training.
“I’m part of a group of five taking part in this race to raise funds and support for a project to end sex trafficking. We are members of 30 for Freedom, an organisation which for ten years has been focused on ending sex trafficking.
“We raised funds to run the race and now our goal is to raise half a million dollars towards ending sex trafficking – every 30 seconds someone is sold into sex trafficking in the world.
“I think running for a cause will make it easier to cope with the physical challenges of this event. And I know that any pain we might experience, doesn’t come close to the pain felt by those sold into sex trafficking.”
Three generations of the Box family from Waxahachie, a small Texan town south of Dallas, took part in the Cape Town and Antarctic legs.
45-year-old Financial Planner, Paul Box, took part in the World Marathon Challenge some years back and was eager to return. “I told my older daughter (15-year-old Kenlee) that she could join the race for the first two legs (the Half Marathon option) if she could run a mile in under 7 minutes. And she did it and here we are!
“My 70-year-old dad was crazy enough just to say yes! He ran one marathon about 40 years ago and had surgery for cancer earlier this year. This race is a celebration of his life.
“Today’s race was a real highlight for me,” said Kenlee, who is contemplating studying medicine. “And although it was a bit windy, it was still great to be out here.”
The green light was given for landing in Antarctica late on Saturday evening and no sooner had the back-markers finished the race on Sea Point Promenade, Kelly and his team were making the final preparations for the five hour flight to Wolf’s Fang Runway, in Queen Maud Land in Antarctica.
A fresh wind at the base dropped the race ambient temperature to minus twenty, with the wind and cold adding almost an hour to the finishing times of Kilgore and Pusiene, who took their second successive titles.
Kilgore finished in 3:55:20, just over a minute clear of Canadian Pierre-Olivier Jacques, while American Jenny Rowe crossed the line 45 minutes adrift of Pusiene’s 4:38:16 winning time.
To underline the extremities of the race, today’s third leg in Perth in Western Australia (Monday 17 November), was run in temperatures of over thirty degrees celsius, a swing of fifty degrees between the two events in 24 hours.
While Kilgore struggled with heat-induced muscle-cramping and crawled home in 22nd position in 5:20:02, Texan financial planner, Paul Bax, felt at home in the warm conditions to win comfortably in 3:16:25 following his third and fourth positions in the first two legs.
Second in Antarctica, Jacques was second again in Perth in 3:34:33 with Christopher Shaari earning his first podium in 3:35:35.
Pusiene is in a class of her own in the women’s competition, the Lithuanian bagging her third straight win in a solid 3:55:04, 28 minutes clear of Paulson.
Proving that age is no barrier to adventure, 82-year-old Dan Little from Oklahoma, USA, completed the Cape Town and Perth marathons in 7:02:00 and 7:01:38 respectively and the Half Marathon in Antarctica in 4:38:49. Little became the oldest competitor to complete the challenging 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days during the 2024 edition of the race and is back for more this year.
Athletes were due to depart for the Asian leg shortly after the finish of the race in Perth. Despite running tomorrow in the Abu Dhabi winter, athletes can expect another warm race, with temperatures predicted close to thirty degrees Celsius.
RESULTS
Leg One: Cape Town
Marathon
Men: 1 David Kilgore (USA) 2:58:53; 2 Ryan Fleming (USA) 3:08:53; 3 Paul Box (USA) 3:10:46; 4 Sterling Lock (USA) 3:20:23; 5 Sam Jolly (UK) 3:22:43
Women: 1 Roma Puisiene (Lithuania) 3:46:27; 2 Jenny Paulson (Romania / USA) 3:53:51; 3 Lindsey Puch 4:02:56; 4 Ashleigh Tran (USA) 4:03:35; 5 Lisa Kenton (USA) 5:46:46
Half Marathon
Men: 1 Michael McDermott (Ireland) 1:40:53; 2 Roberto Bettega 1:58:17; 3 Andrew Trevoy (Canada) 2:11:00
Women: 1 Ellie Romnes 2:28:22; 2 Kenlee Box (USA) 2:33:20; 3 Stephanie Dorah 2:34:38
Leg Two: Wolf Fang, Antarctica
Marathon
Men: 1 David Kilgore (USA) 3:55:20; 2 Pierre-Olivier Jacques (Canada) 3:56:26; 3 Gerard Copeland 3:56:57; 4 Paul Box (USA) 4:08:44; 5 Sully Luepke (USA) 4:11:36
Women: 1 Roma Puisiene (Lithuania) 4:38:16; 2 Jenny Rowe (USA) 5:23:03; 3 Jenny Paulson (Romania / USA) 5:46:30; 4 Lindsey Puch 5:46:34; 5 Lisa Kenton (USA) 5:46:46
Half Marathon
Men: 1 Michael McDermott (Ireland) 2:12:06; 2 Roberto Bettega 2:25:55; 3 Andrew Trevoy (Canada) 3:13:14
Women: 1 Stephanie Ann Schofield (USA) 2:34:57; 2 Ellie Romnes 3:18:58; 3 Ashley Abel (USA) 3:37:59
Leg Three: Perth
Marathon
Men: 1 Paul Box (USA) 3:16:25; 2 Pierre-Olivier Jacques (Canada) 3:34:33; 3 Christopher Shaari (USA) 3:35:25
Women: 1 Roma Puisiene (Lithuania) 3:55:04; 2 Jenny Paulson (Romania / USA) 4:22:58; 3 Stephanie Ann Schfield (USA) 4:24:30
