Meet the Man Who Ran 7 Marathons on 7 Continents in Just 4 Days

Have you ever ran 26.2
miles? Even if you haven’t, you probably know someone who has. It’s no secret
that marathons are a ton of work. Most runners prepare months ahead of time for
these races – and even then, some don’t make it to the finish line. But on
February 13, Kyle Vogt did that and a whole lot more.

The Runner 

First, here’s some
background on the man in question. Vogt is a 34-year-old engineer and
technology executive from Kansas City, Kansas. He left the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology as a junior to develop his first company. In 2011, he
co-founded Twitch, a popular livestream platform. 

Two years later, he sold
Twitch to Amazon for just under $1
billion,
after which he created Cruise Automation, which specializes in autonomous
car software. He also helped produce a Netflix documentary, “The Game
Changers.” On top of these endeavors, Vogt is an avid runner who just set
a world record. Crazy, right?

The World Record

A few weeks ago, Vogt set
out to run seven marathons on seven continents in 77 hours. He succeeded –
but it took him just
over 81 hours,
which he highlighted at the end. Of course, that’s still incredibly impressive.
Vogt chose to visit Antarctica, Argentina, Panama, Spain, Egypt, Oman and Australia
– in that order. To hit each area in only four days, he needed to prepare in a
pretty precise manner.

On his Twitter account, Vogt
explained that he had built software specifically for this trip. He mapped out
the shortest route per a few different variables, like airport size and
travel advisories. Vogt’s finalized path took a total of 38.5 hours of flight
time. Then, he set aside a few hours of rest between each destination.

Before liftoff, Vogt trained
accordingly. He ran three marathons
in three American cities in 24 hours. He also ate a plant-based diet, which helped him fuel his
journey. Many marathon runners do the same prior to their races. Though their
preparations may not be as intense, it’s common for athletes to work on their
bodies so that they’re ready for the big day.

A Few Exceptions

It’s crucial to note that
Vogt did have some help along the way. He flew to each destination on a private
jet and had a team of doctors and coaches there to help. As such, he
didn’t have to wait in lines or head to the hospital for a health evaluation.
This achievement is certainly notable, but it’s not so feasible for the average
person.

If you were to plan a
similar trip, a ton of logistics would get in the way. You’d have to plan each
marathon down to the minute so that you could make it to the next one on time.
Of course, Vogt had to account for weather delays, which luckily didn’t occur.
In any case, he had a lot of resources on hand to make his journey that much
easier.

Make 2020 Your
Record-Breaking Year

We can all take a little
inspiration from Vogt’s story. If he can make time to pursue his goals, so can
you! Put your game face on and get in touch with your competitive side. You
don’t have to run seven marathons in four days to make 2020 your best yet.