A western Kentucky man is running seven marathons across seven continents in seven days this week in an attempt to set a World Record. Dave Jones of Hanson, Kentucky (near Madisonville) is one of a handful of people participating in the Triple 7 Quest this week. Matt Markgraf spoke with Jones before his flight overseas.
Jones said he wasn't initially aware the effort would set a world record. "I did not go out looking for a world record. What I was really into was just the excitement of the idea of taking my endurance feats to another level."
He said a couple years ago a group attempted to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, but got held up in Chile for an additional four days before they were able to land in Antarctica. He said when he found out they were going to try it again, he decided to join the run having trained for Ironman competitions and run several marathons and felt physically fit.
Itinerary:*
- Jan. 25 - Perth, Australia - Australia Day Marathon
- Jan. 26 - Singapore - Singapore Beach Marathon
- Jan. 27 - Cairo, Egypt - Marathon Cairo
- Jan. 28 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Shri Chimnoy Marathon
- Jan. 29 - New York, U.S. - The Inauguration Day International Marathon
- Jan. 30 - Punta Arenas, Chile - The Southern Cross Marathon
- Jan. 31 - King George Island, Antarctica - The White Continent Marathon
*Dates are 'local time'
Jones said he's concerned about the Singapore marathon since it's close to the Equator and said the weather looks to be hot and humid with likely thunderstorms. "The rain may actually help but I'm expecting very hot and very humid in Singapore and those things are my kryptonite." As for Antarctica, he said he plans to wear layers to cover up in the cold weather. The flights straight down from New York through to Antarctica will also present a challenge as there won't be the benefit of time-zone change to catch up on sleep. He added the air quality and dry heat of Cairo might be an issue.
For people who have never participated in a marathon, Jones said he's run on several with friends who have never run before. He said three weeks prior to signing up for his first marathon he couldn’t run to the end of his driveway. He encouraged those interested in running their first marathon to sign up, do the work and hang in there. “If you set the big goal, it is something that you can do and there is nothing but you quitting that will stop you from doing."
For people who have run marathons and are looking for ways to improve, he said there tend to be two camps: faster times and longer volume. He said he personally prefers endurance and recommends adding a little bit more distance with each race and don’t take the time too seriously. He said if you’re looking to improve time then seek a coach and work on speed, hill and recovery
Jones recently changed his careers from the coal industry and is now the owner of an athletic apparel and coaching company Eternal Endurance. He had been in underground mining for 15 years and has a fondness for the coal community but started to realize his passion for endurance sports. While working in coal, he helped develop reflective clothing and applied his knowledge of the technologies involved in creating athletic apparel.
He's also started a charity called Must Add Heart, which is currently awaiting 501(c)(3) status, He said the charity seeks to connect marathon runners with communities struggling with poverty. He said endurance athletes tend to be attracted to places that happen to be in abject poverty and "come in, do the race and leave.” He said he wants to give back to host communities by connecting them with resources.
Track Jones’ progress on his blog or on his Twitter page
