Bob Rebello’s Worldwide Marathons

Running marathons worldwide to raise money and awareness for Kidney Cancer research.

  • 2011 Antarctica Marathon Report – 7 Continents Finished!

    2011 Antarctica Marathon Report – 7 Continents Finished!

    2011 Antarctica Marathon Report - 7 Continents Finished!
  • #12 – 2010 Cape Town Marathon

    #12 – 2010 Cape Town Marathon

    #12 - 2010 Cape Town Marathon
  • #11 – 2009 Stockholm Marathon

    #11 – 2009 Stockholm Marathon

    #11 - 2009 Stockholm Marathon
  • #10 – 2008 Berlin Marathon

    #10 – 2008 Berlin Marathon

    #10 - 2008 Berlin Marathon
  • #9 – 2007 Buenos Aires Marathon

    #9 – 2007 Buenos Aires Marathon

    #9 - 2007 Buenos Aires Marathon
  • #8 – 2006 Bangkok Marathon

    #8 – 2006 Bangkok Marathon

    #8 - 2006 Bangkok Marathon
  • #7 – 2005 Sydney Marathon

    #7 – 2005 Sydney Marathon

    #7 - 2005 Sydney Marathon
  • 2004 – Boston Marathon

    2004 – Boston Marathon

    2004 - Boston Marathon
  • #6 – 2004 Lausanne Marathon

    #6 – 2004 Lausanne Marathon

    #6 - 2004 Lausanne Marathon
  • 2003 – Napa Valley Marathon

    2003 – Napa Valley Marathon

    2003 - Napa Valley Marathon
  • #5 – 2003 Budapest Marathon

    #5 – 2003 Budapest Marathon

    #5 - 2003 Budapest Marathon
  • 2002 – Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon, San Diego

    2002 – Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon, San Diego

    2002 - Rock 'N' Roll Marathon, San Diego
  • #4 – 2002 Monaco Marathon

    #4 – 2002 Monaco Marathon

    #4 - 2002 Monaco Marathon
  • #3 – 2001 Medoc Marathon

    #3 – 2001 Medoc Marathon

    #3 - 2001 Medoc Marathon
  • #2 – 2000 Dublin Marathon

    #2 – 2000 Dublin Marathon

    #2 - 2000 Dublin Marathon

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After 14 years, I have met all of my original commitments and officially closed down my charity. Please read my closing letter and accept my heartfelt THANK YOU all for your support over the years!

My Letter

Bob Rebello’s Worldwide Marathons Blog – 3/19/2012

March 19, 2012 By Bob

Over the next 9 months I will use my weekly Blog to:

  1. Answer questions that my readers have asked me about my 14 years of running marathons around the world.
  2. Update my readers on the status of the 14-year commitments that I made in 1999.
  3. Let my readers know “What’s next for Bob Rebello – 2013 and beyond?”

Today’s Blog will focus on 1 question, and an update on the status of my 14-year commitments.

Question:  How is your 20 week Copenhagen Marathon Training Program going?

I am in the 12th week of my 20 week 550 mile training program for the Copenhagen marathon and everything is going as I planned. I have not missed any days of training and my knee that I injured in last year’s Antarctica marathon has not been a problem during and after my training runs. I am running all of my important long runs on Saturday mornings in Coronado because it is a very flat course – there are no hills or cement which is the same type of course that I will run in Copenhagen [Flat as a Pancake] . I start my long runs at 9:30 in the morning which is the same time as the start time of the Copenhagen marathon.

On March 17th I finished a 12 mile long run under some difficult weather conditions – wind and rain – finishing in an average time of 45 seconds slower than my marathon pace. My Saturday long run schedule for the next 8 weeks will start to get a little more difficult as I approach the marathon on May 20th. The schedule starting on March 24th is as follows: 18, 20, 12, 20, 12, 20, 12, and 8 miles. My goal on each of my long runs is to run at least 3 miles at marathon pace and to finish in an average time of 30 seconds slower than my marathon pace.

My weekly Copenhagen training program consists of the following:

M: Cross train 2 Hours [Stationary bike for 1 hour, weights and core/leg exercises for 1 hour].

T: Speed Runs: [8×1/2 mile @8:45 pace]

W: Intervals [4 miles @ marathon pace]

TH: Easy Run [6 miles with 3 miles @ marathon pace]

F: Cross train 2 Hours [Stationary bike for 1 hour, weights and core/leg exercises for 1 hour].

S: Long Run at 30 seconds slower than marathon pace.

S: Rest

 

Commitments Update: [1999 to 2012]

As you can see from my 14-year commitments status I have received three new donations since my last week’s update – my 14-year total is now at $84,130.00 – if you would like to join the 1,090 people who have donated over the last 14 years please click here. I am now closer to my goal of running more miles than the circumference of the earth as I have now run 23,739 miles over the last14 years.

BOB REBELLO’s 14-YEAR COMMITMENTS AND STATUS [05/23/1999 to 12/31/2012]

 

  1. Commitment: To raise $100,000.00 for kidney cancer research in memory of my brother John.

            Status: OPEN – Raised $84,130.00 – I only need $15,870.00 to meet my commitment. 

 

  1. Commitment: To ensure that 100% of all donations go directly to kidney cancer research.

            Status: COMPLETE – The $84,130.00 raised went directly to kidney cancer research as I

                                                    paid all of the expenses. [Air, Hotel, Stamps, Printing, Photos, etc.]

  1. Commitment: To bring worldwide awareness about kidney cancer.

            Status: COMPLETE – I brought worldwide awareness about kidney cancer through my travels

                                                   and my website that has had 5,600 visits from over 100 countries and all

50 US States.

 

  1. Commitment: To finish marathons on all 7 continents by December 31, 2012

            Status: COMPLETE – I finished marathons on all 7 continents.

 

  1. Commitment: To finish a marathon someplace in the world every year for 14 years.

            Status: OPEN – Finished 17 marathons in 13 countries. Also finished11 half marathons, 5 10k’s,

                                       & 7 5k’s for my charity.

 

  1. Commitment: To run more miles [races + training] than the circumference of the earth [24,901.5].

            Status: OPEN – I have run 23,739 miles – I only need to run 1,162.5 miles over the next

                                       294 days.

You can follow my weekly progress on: Twitter [http://twitter.com/bobrebello], Facebook[http://facebook.com/Worldwidemarathons], Website [www.bobrebello.com].

Have a great day,

Bob Rebello

Filed Under: Marathon Training Tagged With: kidney cancer research, marathon training, worldwide marathons

Week 7 [2/20/012 to 2/26/012] Of My 14th, And Final Year, For Kidney Cancer Research

March 1, 2012 By Bob

Over the next 10 months I will use my weekly Blog to:

  1. Answer questions that my readers have asked me about my 14 years of running marathons around the world.
  2. Update my readers on the status of the 14-year commitments that I made in 1999.
  3. Let my readers know “What’s next for Bob Rebello – 2013 and beyond?”

 

Today’s Blog will focus on 1 question, an update on the status of my 14-year commitments, and what’s next – 2013 and beyond.

Question: What do I do to keep myself “busy” now that I am 75 years old and “retired”?

To answer the question – I am not retired and I will not be retiring anytime in the near or extended future.

Over the years that question seems to always come up when I get in conversations with people that I just met. The first question they always ask me is how old I am – once they find out that I am 75 years “young” they naturally assume that I am retired – taking it easy – and enjoying my retirement years. I have always felt that my age was nothing but a number – and right now my number is 75 and my number will change to 76 on May 23, 2012.

What’s next for Bob Rebello – 2013 and beyond?

Right now I am approaching the finish line on a fantastic 14 year adventure running marathons around the world for kidney cancer. My adventure will end in December of 2012 when I cross the finish line at my 19th, and final, worldwide marathon. This will not be my last adventure as I plan on continuing to run marathons as well as doing my first Triathlon. I am presently in the process of starting two new businesses, writing a book about my adventures and working as a motivational speaker. Over the next few months I will be speaking to the BUMP.COM [www.bump.com] team on 2/29/012 and at UCSD on 5/26/012.

What has kept me motivated over the last 14 years is:

Purpose + Commitment + Persistence = Success

 

Commitments Update:

As you can see from my 14-year commitments status I have not received any new donations since my last week’s update – my 14-year total is still at $83,905.00 – if you would like to join the 1,086 people who have donated over the last 14 years please click here. I am now closer to my goal of running more miles than the circumference of the earth as I ran 30 miles this week which brings my 14-year total miles run to 23,706.

BOB REBELLO’s 14-YEAR COMMITMENTS AND STATUS [05/23/1999 to 12/31/2012]

Commitment: To raise $100,000.00 for kidney cancer research in memory of my brother John.

Status: Raised $83,905.00 – I only need $16,095.00 to meet my commitment. 

Commitment: To ensure that 100% of all donations go directly to kidney cancer research.

Status: COMPLETE – The $83,905.00 raised went directly to kidney cancer research as I

paid all of the expenses. [Air, Hotel, Stamps, Printing, Photos, etc.]

Commitment: To bring worldwide awareness about kidney cancer.

Status: COMPLETE – I brought worldwide awareness about kidney cancer through my travels

and my website that has had 5,058 visits from over 100 countries and all 50 US States.

Commitment: To finish marathons on all 7 continents by December 31, 2012

Status: COMPLETE – I finished marathons on all 7 continents.

Commitment: To finish a marathon someplace in the world every year for 14 years.

Status: Finished 17 marathons in 13 countries. Also finished11 half marathons, 5 10k’s, & 7 5k’s.

Commitment: To run more miles [races + training] than the circumference of the earth [24,901.5].

Status: I have run 23,706 miles – I only need to run 1,195.5 miles over the next 308 days.

 


Week 5 Training Program Results: [2/20/012 to 2/26/012]

My training program, and miles run each day, for the week was as follows:

M: 3 Weights/Strength

T: 4

W:  3 Intervals

TH:  4 Hills

F: 4  + Weights/Strength   

S:  12   S: Rest

You can follow my weekly progress on: Twitter [http://twitter.com/bobrebello], Facebook[http://facebook.com/Worldwidemarathons], Website [www.bobrebello.com].

Have a great day,

Bob Rebello

Filed Under: Marathon Training Tagged With: kidney cancer research, marathon training, worldwide marathons

Week 6 [2/13/012 to 2/19/012] Of My 14th, And Final Year, For Kidney Cancer Research

February 17, 2012 By Bob

 Over the next 11 months I will use my weekly Blog to:

  1. Answer questions that my readers have asked me about my 14 years of running marathons around the world.
  2. Update my readers on the status of the 14-year commitments that I made in 1999.    
  3. Let my readers know “What’s next for Bob Rebello – 2013 and beyond”. 

Today’s Blog will focus on 1 question and an update on the status of my 14-year commitments.

Question: Have I ever belonged to a running club or running group?                     

I have been very fortunate to have belonged to two really great running groups over the last 14 years that I have been running worldwide marathons. The two running groups that I belonged to were the “Concord Runners” [www.concordrunners.org] of Concord Massachusetts and the “Running Group” of San Diego California [www.runwithgreg.com].

Concord Runners: [See photo below]

I was very fortunate to run with the Concord runners for 4 years from 1997 to 2001 when I lived in Lexington, Massachusetts. The concord runners are an informal group of men and women runners who meet every Saturday morning at 8:00am at the historic Monument Square in downtown Concord, Massachusetts. When I first started running with the Concord Runners in 1997 I was 62 years “young” and was just starting to run about 10 miles a week as a way to improve my overall health – I was a physical wreck – 20+ pounds overweight. Because of the time, and kindness that many of the runners gave me I was able to learn from their training experiences and with their help I was able to put together my first half marathon training program. The first half marathon that I did while with the Concord Runners was the New Bedford half marathon on March 15, 1998 – I finished but was not very happy with my finish time of 2:35 [Pace=11:49]. After the race I discussed my race results with some of the runners during our Saturday run and from their inputs I put together a new half marathon training program that I would use for my next half marathon race. My next half marathon was the May 13, 2000 Quechee, Vermont Covered Bridge half marathon which I finished in a time of 1:51 [Pace=8:28] which made me very happy as I improved my finish time by 44 minutes. During the time between the half marathons [1998 to 2000] I ran a total of six 10k races finishing in an average time of 52.14 [8:24 Pace]. On October 24, 1999 I ran the USMC marathon, my first worldwide marathon for kidney cancer, and thanks to the advice I received from the Concord Runners I was able to finish the marathon in a time of 4:39 [Pace = 10:28]. Again I sought out advice on how I could improve my marathon finish time and put together a new marathon training program for my next marathon.

 

My next worldwide marathon was in Dublin, Ireland on October 30, 2000 where I finished in a time of 4:09 [Pace = 9:30] an improvement of 30 minutes over my first marathon.

Because of the Saturday runs with the Concord Runners I was able to not only greatly improve my finishing times for all of my races but also improve my health as I lost about 20 pounds over the 4 years with the group. I am still in contact with a number of my Concord Runner friends and when I stop by Boston to see my daughter on my return trips from my worldwide marathons I try to attend their Saturday morning runs. I miss the people, the runs in the snow and the breakfasts after the runs – just a wonderful group of people.

 

 

The Concord Runners at Monument Square in Downtown Concord, Massachusetts

The Running Group:

I moved to LaJolla, California from Lexington, Massachusetts in June of 2001 and immediately started training for my 3rd worldwide marathon – the Medoc, France marathon on September 8, 2001. I spent quite a bit of time looking for a running group to join – all of the groups I found were very competitive groups – I was looking for an informal group like the Concord Runners.

A week after I returned from the Medoc marathon I was sitting in front of the local Starbucks on a Saturday morning wearing my Medoc finishers jersey when someone noticed the jersey and told me that one his running group friends had also finished the Medoc marathon. He invited me to his running group’s breakfast after their Saturday morning run, introduced me to the runners and invited me to join the running group. I started running with the group the next Saturday and continued to run with the group for the next 9 years – up to 2009.

During those years I ran my fastest marathon to date when I finished the March 3, 2003 NAPA Valley, California marathon in a time of 4:02 [age 67]. My finish time was good enough for me to qualify for the 2004 Boston marathon. I also ran my fastest half marathon to date when I finished the January 18, 2004 San Diego half marathon in a time of 1:49 [age 68].

Over those 9 years I made a lot of new friends who I still stay in contact with.  

Commitments Update:

As you can see from my 14-year commitments status I have not received any new donations since my last week’s update – my 14-year total is still at $83,905.00 – if you would like to join the 1,086 people who have donated over the last 14 years please click here. I am now closer to my goal of running more miles than the circumference of the earth as I ran 32 miles this week which brings my 14-year total miles run to 23,673.

BOB REBELLO’s 14-YEAR COMMITMENTS AND STATUS [05/23/1999 to 12/31/2012]

 

 

  1. Commitment: To raise $100,000.00 for kidney cancer research in memory of my brother John.

            Status: Raised $83,905.00 – I only need $16,095.00 to meet my commitment.

 

  1. Commitment: To ensure that 100% of all donations go directly to kidney cancer research.

            Status: COMPLETE – The $83,905.00 raised went directly to kidney cancer research as I

                                                    paid all of the expenses. [Air, Hotel, Stamps, Printing, Photos, etc.]

  1. Commitment: To bring worldwide awareness about kidney cancer.

            Status: COMPLETE – I brought worldwide awareness about kidney cancer through my travels

                                                   and my website that has had 5,058 visits from over 100 countries and all

                                                   50 US States.

 

  1. Commitment: To finish marathons on all 7 continents by December 31, 2012

            Status: COMPLETE – I finished marathons on all 7 continents.

 

  1. Commitment: To finish a marathon someplace in the world every year for 14 years.

            Status: Finished 17 marathons in 13 countries. Also finished11 half marathons, 5 10k’s, & 7 5k’s.

 

  1. Commitment: To run more miles [races + training] than the circumference of the earth [24,901.5].

            Status: I have run 23,673 miles – I only need to run 1,228.5 miles over the next 315 days.

 

Week 5 Training Program Results: [2/13/012 to 2/19/012]

My training program, and miles run each day, for the week was as follows:

M: Weights/Strength   T: 4    W: 6 Intervals   TH: 4 Hills   F: 4 + Weights/Strength    S: 14   S: Rest

You can follow my weekly progress on: Twitter [http://twitter.com/bobrebello], Facebook[http://facebook.com/Worldwidemarathons], Website [www.bobrebello.com].

Have a great day,

Bob Rebello

Filed Under: Marathon Training Tagged With: kidney cancer research, marathon training, worldwide marathons

Week 6 Of My 14th, And Final Year, For Kidney Cancer Research [2/6/012 to 2/12/012]

February 13, 2012 By Bob

Over the next 11 months I will use my weekly Blog to:

  1. Answer questions that my readers have asked me about my 14 years of running marathons around the world.
  2. Update my readers on the status of the 14-year commitments that I made in 1999.
  3. Let my readers know “What’s next for Bob Rebello – 2013 and beyond”.

Today’s Blog will focus on 1 question and an update on the status of my 14-year commitments. The question that I will address is one that most marathon runners always remember and that is “what was the worst weather that you ran a marathon in?”.

The marathon that had the worst weather for me was the September 30, 2000 Dublin marathon, my 2nd worldwide marathon. If you have ever been to Dublin, Ireland in September you know that the weather will either be cold, or rain, or windy. The weather on marathon day was a combination of all of the elements – heavy rain, very cold with 30 mph winds throughout the race. The weather for the race was so bad that the local Dublin newspaper reported the day after the race that the marathon had the worst weather in the 21 years of the marathon. They went so far as to call the September 30, 2000 marathon “the marathon of suffering” because of the terrible weather.

To make matters worse the day before the race I had a temperature and did not feel well with a number of aches and pains. At the start of the race I had to stand in the cold, wind and heavy rain for about 30 minutes before the race started. By the time I reached mile 3’s water station the rain was coming down very hard and it was very windy and cold. We were given 20 ounce plastic water bottles at the station and it took me quite a while to open the bottle because my hands were very cold and I had gloves on. Miles 9 to 19 were flat with no rolling hills with hardly any people cheering you on as the weather went from bad to worse keeping everyone indoors. When I finally crossed the finish line just about every bone in my body ached and I was starting to get a sore throat. It took about an hour to get back to the hotel because it was very painful walking after running the marathon in the rain, wind, and cold. The next day I was quite sick with a sore throat, high temperature, and many aches and pains. The flight home was the worst flight I had ever taken. I had a constant headache, every bone in my body was aching, and I had trouble eating any solid foods. When I got home I was still very sick and decided to call my doctor who told me that I had Pneumonia and more than likely I had it while I was running the marathon.

Me during 10/30/2000 Dublin marathon

Bob Rebello Running in Dublin

BOB REBELLO’s 14-YEAR COMMITMENTS AND STATUS [05/23/1999 to 12/31/2012]

1. Commitment: To raise $100,000.00 for kidney cancer research in memory of my brother John.
Status: Raised $83,905.00 – I only need $16,095.00 to meet my commitment.

2. Commitment: To ensure that 100% of all donations go directly to kidney cancer research.
Status: COMPLETE – The $83,905.00 raised went directly to kidney cancer research as I
paid all of the expenses. [Air, Hotel, Stamps, Printing, Photos, etc.]

3. Commitment: To bring worldwide awareness about kidney cancer.
Status: COMPLETE – I brought worldwide awareness about kidney cancer through my travels
and my website that has had 5,058 visits from over 100 countries and all
50 US States.

4. Commitment: To finish marathons on all 7 continents by December 31, 2012
Status: COMPLETE – I finished marathons on all 7 continents.

5. Commitment: To finish a marathon someplace in the world every year for 14 years.
Status: Finished 17 marathons in 13 countries. Also finished11 half marathons, 5 10k’s, & 7 5k’s.

6. Commitment: To run more miles [races + training] than the circumference of the earth [24,901.55].
Status: I have run 23,641 miles – I only need to run 1,260.5 miles over the next 322 days.


Week 5 Training Program Results: [2/6/012 to 2/12/012]

My training program, and miles run each day, for the week was as follows:

M: Weights/Strength

T: 3

W: 5 Intervals

TH: 4 Hills

F: 3 + Weights/Strength   

S: 13   S: Rest

You can follow my weekly progress on:

Twitter [http://twitter.com/bobrebello]

Facebook[http://facebook.com/Worldwidemarathons]

Have a great day,

Bob Rebello

Filed Under: Marathon Training Tagged With: kidney cancer research, marathon training, worldwide marathons

Week 5 of my 14th, and Final Year, for Kidney Cancer Research [1/30/012 to 2/05/012]

February 6, 2012 By Bob

Over the last few weeks a number of people have asked me how I am doing against the 14-year commitments that I made in 1999 for my worldwide marathons for kidney cancer research. As you can see from my 14-year commitments and status chart I have completed commitments 2, 3, and 4 of the 6 major commitments that I made on May 23, 1999. When I finish the Copenhagen marathon on May 20th [yes I am an optimist] I will have completed commitment number 5 – To finish a marathon someplace in the world every year for 14 years. I will finish commitment number 6 to run more miles than the circumference of the earth in December of 2012. The only major commitment that I am unsure of meeting is my commitment to raise $100k for kidney cancer research prior to December 31, 2012. In order for me to meet this commitment – the most important commitment that I made in 1999 – I must have the help and generosity of many people over the next 329 days to raise the $16,095.00 that I need to meet the $100k commitment. If you would like to join the 1,086 people who have donated over the last 14 years click here. 

rebello_marine_cartoon

BOB REBELLO’s 14-YEAR COMMITMENTS AND STATUS [05/23/1999 to 12/31/2012]

1. Commitment: To raise $100,000.00 for kidney cancer research in memory of my brother John.
Status: Raised $83,905.00 – I only need $16,095.00 to meet my commitment.

2. Commitment: To ensure that 100% of all donations go directly to kidney cancer research.
Status: COMPLETE – The $83,905.00 raised went directly to kidney cancer research as I
paid all of the expenses. [Air, Hotel, Stamps, Printing, Photos, etc.]

3. Commitment: To bring worldwide awareness about kidney cancer.
Status: COMPLETE – I brought worldwide awareness about kidney cancer through my travels
and my website that has had 5,058 visits from over 100 countries and all
50 US States.

4. Commitment: To finish marathons on all 7 continents by December 31, 2012
Status: COMPLETE – I finished marathons on all 7 continents.

5. Commitment: To finish a marathon someplace in the world every year for 14 years.
Status: Finished 17 marathons in 13 countries. Also finished11 half marathons, 5 10k’s, & 7 5k’s.

6. Commitment: To run more miles [races + training] than the circumference of the earth [24,901.55].
Status: I have run 23,593 miles – I only need to run 1,308.55 miles over the next 329 days.

Week 5 Training Program Results: [1/30/012 to 2/05/012]

My training program, and miles run each day, for the week was as follows:

M: Weights/Strength Ex.

T: 3

W: 4 Intervals

TH: 4 Hills

F: 4 + Weights/Strength Ex.

S: 8

S: Rest

You can follow my weekly progress on:

Twitter [http://twitter.com/bobrebello]

Facebook[http://facebook.com/Worldwidemarathons]

Have a great day,

Bob Rebello

Filed Under: Marathon Training Tagged With: kidney cancer research, marathon training, worldwide marathons

2011 Antarctica Marathon Report – 7 Continents Finished!

March 30, 2011 By Bob

Finishing The Antarctica Marathon

2011 Antarctica Marathon

After 13+ years and 17 worldwide marathons I finally met the commitment I made to my donors in 1999 – “that I would finish marathons on all 7 continents”. I accomplished this on February 28, 2011 when I finished the Antarctica marathon, my 7th continent, in a time of 6:24. It was a very satisfying feeling crossing the finish line after what I consider my most difficult and physically demanding 26.2 miles that I have ever run.

Prior to the race I had set a finish time goal of 6:15, the race cutoff time was 6:30. My finish time goal was based on Tom Gilligan, the Founder of Marathon Tours recommendation to all of the runners that they should add at least 1 to 1 ½ hours to the finish time of their last marathon for their Antarctica marathon goal. I also checked with runners who had previously finished the Antarctica marathon and most of them told me that their Antarctica finish times were close to the 1 ½ hour finish time number.

The Male winner of the 2011 Antarctica marathon was Michael Hewitt from Denver Colorado in a time of 3:25:49 [45 minutes slower than his last marathon] the female winner was Diane Kenna from New York in a time of 4:26:29. The ages of the marathoners ranged from the youngest at age 29 to the oldest of 74 [yours truly]. There were 54 male runners and 22 female runners and the average age of the male runners was 49.

Total, there were runners from 13 countries.

All of the 16 previous marathons that I finished were run in major worldwide cities during their warm weather seasons, on paved roads, with thousands, of people cheering me on, with water stations every 3 miles and I could get to the start line by walking or taking a taxi. The 2011 Antarctica marathon was the exact opposite as it was run on the most remote continent on earth, with the coldest and windiest weather, on muddy, rock infested dirt roads that had many steep hills, streams that you had to wade through to get across.

There were no people to cheer you on, no water stations, and the only way to get to the start line is to travel 600 miles on a ship from Ushuaia, Argentina through the treacherous waters of the Drake Passage to Antarctica, and then to get on a Zodiac for a 15 minute ride over very choppy waters to the start of the race on King George Island.

At this time I would like to thank Tom Gilligan, and his great Marathon Tours team of Scott Guillemette, Anita Allen, Bill Serues, and Jane Serues for their tireless efforts to ensure that the 2011 Antarctica marathon was a success. What follows are the details of the day before the marathon, and marathon day on King George Island.

Day Before the marathon – February 27,2011

Bob In Antarctica

On the morning of the 27th, the day before the marathon, Tom Gilligan and his staff went to King George Island to determine what the course for the marathon will be, to get approval from the base research installations staffs [Russia, Chile, China, and Uruguay], and to setup the course with flags and mileage markers for the marathon.

While Tom and his staff were setting up the course we disembarked in the morning for Robert Point, Robert Island. In the evening Tom Gilligan and his staff gave us the final race briefing and gave us the details concerning the final course. After the briefing I went back to my room to layout my race gear for tomorrow’s race.

The gear that I wore for the marathon was:

  • Running Shoes: Asics 2160
  • Socks: Wigwam mills ¾ socks
  • Underwear: Thermal underwear
  • Running Tights: Asics running tights
  • Three Layers of jerseys: 1st [light thermal], 2nd [heavy thermal], 3rd [heavy fleece]
  • Marathon Shirt: On top of 3rd layer of jerseys I wore my worldwide marathons shirt
  • Hat: Wigwam Mills Gortex Hat
  • Watch: Garmin
  • Fuel Belt: 4-bottle Road Runner Sports fuel belt
  • Gloves: heavy winter gloves

I also wore a Road Runner Sports water- proof jacket and pants to go ashore on the Zodiac.

As is the case in every other marathon that I have finished the night before the race I was very excited as well as concerned about finishing my 7th continent. At the same time I really had no idea just how difficult and physically demanding the race would eventually be.

I want to thank all of my sponsors who donated their best in class products for my Antarctica marathon. Asics [shoes/tights], Wigwam Mills [socks/hat/], Phase n [Garmin], Road Runner Sports [Water and windproof jacket and pants].

Marathon Day – February 28, 2011

Zodiac Landing

I woke up the morning of the race at 6am, showered and got into my race gear then went for a light breakfast of oatmeal, a peanut butter sandwich, and a cup of coffee. Early in the morning Tom Gilligan and his staff boarded their Zodiacs and headed for the island to prepare for the race. The runners were on the Zodiacs around 8am and by 8:45am all of the runners were lined up for the start of the 12th Antarctica marathon. The weather on race day was overcast; with a temperature that ranged from 32F-38F and with wind gusts of 40mph it made it much colder.

Antarctica BasesThe racecourse was a number of outs and backs between the Russian, China, and Uruguay bases and ran along crude dirt roads. The race started at the Russian base and went out 2.5 miles South to the China base and back to the Russian base for a total of 5 miles .The toughest part of the course was going North to the Uruguay base and back to the Russian base for a total of 11 miles. The course then repeated the China and Uruguay routes for a total of 21 miles and repeating the China route 1 more time for the 26.2 miles makes up the final 5 miles. Although I had a clear understanding of the route and that it would be clearly marked, with race monitors in key locations, I along with all of the other runners had no idea how really bad the running conditions would be as the day wore on.

The race started at 9am and the fastest runners were up front and literally left all of the other runners in the dust.

The first 2.5 miles to the China base consisted of about 4 to 5 steep hills, the dirt road was in good shape with no mud yet but the only flat area in the first 5 miles was where there was a lot of stones, I had to run against the 40mph wind gusts on the way back to the start and for the first 5 miles I did very well as I ran up all of the steep hills and went faster on the downhills to help my time.

Once I was back at the Russian base I headed North 2.5 miles to the Uruguay base, which turned out to be the toughest part of the marathon. The route had a number of places along the road that was covered in a very thick and sticky mud and had at least 2 places where I had to wade across the streams and got my shoes and socks wet. I counted 7 steep hills along the route and I ended walking up the last 2 hills due to my having to run against the 40mph wind gusts.

Bob Running AntarcticaOn the return to the Russian base I had to go through the mud and water again and my shoes were starting to get heavier as I couldn’t shake off the mud because it was so thick. When I got back to the Russian base I had now run a total of 11 miles which meant that I had to run the China route 2 more times and the Uruguay route 1 more time to make up the 26.2 miles. I headed out on my second trip to the China base and found that the road was starting to get muddier due to the number of runners going over the route for the second time. It became more difficult to run up the hills due to the increase of mud along the way.

I eventually reached the China base and returned to the Russian base at a much slower time than my first trip to the China base due to the mud and wind gusts. At this point in the race I had run 16 miles and now was headed towards the Uruguay base. While running up the first hill towards Uruguay I picked up small stones in both of my shoes and they were rubbing on my heels, which made it painful to run. I tried moving my shoes to see if I could get rid of them but I just couldn’t shake them out of my shoes. After a while I thought that I finally got rid of them but they had moved to the front of my shoes and away from my heels, which were starting to hurt.

It was a very difficult 2.5 miles to the Uruguay base due to the increase of thick mud, water, and the 7 hills. Some of the hills had so much mud on them that it was very difficult going down the hills.

On the way back to the Russian base I was now walking up all of the steep hills as almost all of the runners were doing. When I got back to the Russian base I had now run a total of 21 miles and it was apparent that I would not meet my finish time goal of 6:15, as I still had to run the China route 1 more time to reach the 26.2 miles.

Dirty ShoesI headed out for my last China run and my heels were now really bothering me it was clear that I had some rather large blisters on my heels due to the stones rubbing against my heels. When I reached the China Base and headed back to the Russian base I felt confident that I would beat the cut off time of 6:30.

When I finally reached the Russian base I could see the finish line and as I finally crossed the finish line in a time of 6:24. I was very tired but very excited to realize that I had finished my 7th continent. When I got back to the ship I finally looked at my heels and found that I had 2 very large blisters on my heels. I went to see the ships doctor and he put some salve on it and large band-aids.

There was a post-race party and celebration during the evening onboard the ship as we cruised overnight south to the Antarctica Peninsula.

Finishing The 2011 Antarctica Marathon

View more photos on Flickr – CLICK HERE

 

Filed Under: Antarctica, Marathons Tagged With: antarctica marathon, marathon guide, marathon tours, worldwide marathons

April 2009 – My Antarctica Marathon Gets Pushed Back By An Entire Year

February 7, 2011 By Bob

antarctica marathon cruise

On April 30, 2009 my plans for the 2010 Antarctica marathon were put on hold when I received an e-mail from Thom Gilligan, the owner of Marathon Tours, that informed me that they will be limited to only one ship for the 2010 Antarctica marathon and must confirm travelers according to when deposits were received. As my deposit was received late in the process my trip to Antarctica would be moved out from March 6, 2010 to February 28, 2011.

My original plan was that Antarctica in 2010 would be my 6th continent and Cape Town South Africa would be my final continent, the 7th continent in 2011. With the cancellation of my trip to Antarctica I now had to start the process of scheduling Africa in 2010 instead of 2011. I was very fortunate that I was in the early stages of the planning/registration process of my Africa marathon. In all honesty, it actually worked out well to have Antarctica as my final continent rather than Africa. It may be my biggest challenge yet, but I’m up for it.

Filed Under: Antarctica Training Tagged With: antarctica marathon, worldwide marathons

May 2008 – My Journey To Antarctica Begins

January 31, 2011 By Bob

Antarctica Marathon

The 14- year plan [1999 to 2012] that I put together in 1999 to bring worldwide awareness about kidney cancer was a commitment that I would complete at least one worldwide marathon each year, for 14 years, and to run at least one marathon on all 7 continents by 2012 – when I turn 75. By 2008 I had finished 12 worldwide marathons on 5 continents [North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia], which meant that I needed to finish marathons on the remaining two continents – Africa and Antarctica.

On May 28, 2008 I signed up for the 2010 Antarctica marathon by paying my deposit of $300.00 to the company that manages the Antarctica marathon, Marathon Tours & Travel of Boston, Massachusetts. I was told that my deposit would ensure me that I would be on the list of runners who would be running the 2010 Antarctica marathon on March 6, 2010. The cost of the trip to Antarctica is $7,090.00 and includes 3 nights in the Marriott Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires, round trip flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, 2 day boat ride to King George Island to run the marathon – three meals daily on board ship, sightseeing trips to Paradise Bay and through the fjords near the Lemaire channel, and the 2 day boat ride from Antarctica to Ushuaia.

The package that I received from Marathon Tours informed me that there would be two ships going to the marathon with 150+ runners, race support staff, and the ships Russian crew. The ships, the Loffe and the Vavilov, that we would travel on were built in Finland in 1987 and sold to the Russians, allegedly for scientific research but more likely for spying on U.S. submarines. They were specifically designed for the Antarctic and built to withstand eighty-mile-per-hour winds, sixty-foot-high seas, and to plow through ice three feet thick and were converted to carry passengers to Antarctica. I selected to go on the Loffe as the ship that I would travel to Antarctica on.

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Filed Under: Antarctica Training Tagged With: antarctica marathon, most challenging marathons, worldwide marathons

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