Calgary man runs 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days

Stephen Park of Calgary started the quest of a lifetime on Jan. 25. It was then in Perth, Australia, that he began running in his first back-to-back marathon. His goal was to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days — something he called his ‘Triple 7 Quest.’

From Australia, the 44-year-old travelled to Cairo, Amsterdam, New York City, Chile and then Antarctica’s King George Island. With less than 30 minutes to go, Park completed all seven marathons using only commercial flights.

“The running to me wasn’t as tough as the logistical nightmare,” Park told CTV News.

Park said making it through customs and fitting in some sleep proved to be more of a challenge than running the actual races.

The chartered accountant said each night he was only able to get three or four hours of sleep. To fuel up, Park relied on energy gels and protein packs that he carried with him.

Completing the seven marathons on seven continents in seven days was a dream he had for years.

Park began running in 2000 and even proposed to his wife at the New York City marathon finish line in 2002. But then life happened and he didn’t run as much.

“You get married, you have kids and you gain a little bit of weight,” he said.

After making his New Year’s resolution for 2015 to get back in shape, he began running again, adding it in his life where he could.

“I probably am not your typical elite athlete that had a disciplined training program,” Park said. “I tried to just fit it into my life with the kind of the motto, ‘You gotta move it, move it.'”

Eventually the chance to accomplish his dream presented itself and he seized it.

Having friends and family affected by cancer, Park also used the marathons as an opportunity to raise awareness for the disease. Through his efforts, he collected $6,000 for the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

And Park’s running days aren’t over. He plans to run 150 kilometres to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. He also encourages fellow Canadians to get out there and get active.

“Everybody’s got these fitness trackers nowadays and I challenge all Canadians,” Park said. “You can set some small goals and you can achieve them.”