Running a marathon when you’re 70 years old is a monumental challenge. Running seven of them in seven days in seven different countries — well, that’s other-worldly. Chau Smith wanted to see how far she could push herself, and in late-January, with little fanfare or attention she achieved the seemingly impossible.
Incredible 70-year-old runs 7 marathons in 7 days
Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
It was called the “Triple 7 Quest,” an organized trip for ludicrous distance runners that saw them roam around the world running 26.2 miles per day before getting on a plane, flying to a new location, and doing it all over again. Steve Hibbs, owner of the travel company that organized the event, spoke with CNN about Smith’s achievement.
“She didn’t want to publicize this before doing it. She overcame a lot, and it was just really impressive to see her run and complete the event.”
The last week of January saw Smith run marathons in Australia, Singapore, Egypt, the Netherlands, USA, Chile, and Antarctica. She didn’t want the attention, she just wanted to push herself as far as possible.
“It took me eight months to really train,” Smith said. “The last four months, I really put in long, long runs. Every week, I ran from 15 miles to 130 miles.”
Smith returned to Missouri to work in her dry-cleaning business, where she works 10 hours a day and runs in her free time. Extreme challenges are nothing new to the 70-year-old, who ran a marathon in Tanzania and hiked Mt. Kilamanjaro the next day in 2016.
Most people envision their retirement being a time to relax, travel, and do some gardening. Smith wants to travel as well, but plans to hike the Appalachian Trail. Those plans are on the back burner for now because she already setting her sights on the “Triple 8 Quest” in 2018. That’s eight marathons in eight days in eight countries.
Simply unbelievable.
See More:
