Ice cream shop manager and mother wins the World Marathon Challenge
The World Marathon Challenge ended on Friday with a pair of Americans winning the challenge of seven (marathons, days, continents).
The 2017 World Marathon Challenge has a $55,000 entry fee.
Many runners take one week, sometimes two weeks, off after completing a marathon to let their body recover before beginning training again.
RELATED: Canadian wins Walt Disney World Marathon.
The same cannot be said for competitors at the World Marathon Challenge, which ended on Friday. Participants ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents, an event that began in Antarctica on Jan. 23 and ended in Sydney on Friday.
Becca Pizzi, from Belmont, Mass., and Daniel Cartica, a Chicago resident, won the grueling global challenge.
Pizzi’s total time spanned more than a full day as she completed the series of seven races in 27:26:15 (approximately 3:55:10 for each marathon). Pizzi is a day care operator, manages an ice cream shop, and is the mother to a seven-year-old, according to her blog.
Cartica averaged 3:32:25 per marathon to win the men’s race as both winners broke the previous records. Cartica is a U.S. Marine Corps captain.
“We just made history,” Pizzi told The Associated Press. “I believed in myself since the moment I signed up for it. I went for it and got it done. When you believe in yourself, anything is possible.”
RELATED: Betty Jean McHugh sets world marathon record at 88 years old.
The challenge began in Antarctica and finished in Sydney. Runners had the following itinerary:
Jan. 23 — Marathon in Antarctica + Flight to Punta Arenas, Chile.
Jan. 24 — Marathon in Punta Arenas + Flight to Miami
Jan. 25 — Marathon in Miami + Flight to Madrid
Jan. 26 — Marathon in Madrid + Flight to Marrakech, Morocco
Jan. 27 — Marathon in Marrakech + Flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Jan. 28 — Marathon in Dubai + Flight to Sydney, Australia
Jan. 29 — Marathon in Sydney + Celebration
There were no Canadians that took part in the World Marathon Challenge this year. The entry fee for the 2017 race is €36,000 (CAD$54,000), which includes international business class flights between all locations.
Every athlete who began the World Marathon Challenge in 2016 completed the seven-race series.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
