Man Runs a Marathon Every Day for a Year

Man Runs a Marathon Every Day for a Year Rebecca Brayton: He plans to run a full marathon everyday for a full year straight. Hi, I'm Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with Belgian runner and Guinness World Record holder Stefaan Engels above this challenge. Your goal is to run a marathon everyday for a year. Why did you undertake this challenge? Stefaan Engels: My personal reason is I'm looking 25 years in my life of running so in the first two years I said, I will try running one marathon and okay it was possible after one year of running in marathon and then another marathon and then I start in a triathlon. I do it 10 years long distance triathlons and I break also a world record, running, biking and swimming in 20 triathlons in one year. So I was feeling okay I’ve done that in 40s but if you must do it everyday in marathon. Is it possible physically? Also mentally is it possible to do this? To us an experiment is it possible or not? I think now, yes it is possible. You must take not all the time the easy way in life if you believe in yourself, and is that okay? I go for it. I make the goal. My goal is next year there going to be this or that and then you starting, mostly you finish your goal. Rebecca Brayton: What kind of training was necessary beforehand to prepare yourself for this challenge? Stefaan Engels: I ran in 25 years. That was my best training and I have really a slow heartbeat if I’m running, I have not more than hundred beats. It's like walking and I have a really quick operation after two hours so I feel okay. Rebecca Brayton: What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve been counted during this year? Stefaan Engels: Here in Canada, it’s harder for my body. It’s the weather, it's too hot for me now and the ground is too hard also. But mostly it’s the fact that you must stay everyday there on the start from your marathon, everyday a whole year really in for me feelings, a year is really long now, it’s mental mostly. Rebecca Brayton: How do you maintain your body between runs? Stefaan Engels: Massages everyday, sleep in 10 hours, eating five times in a day. Think positive is also important, to think I have no boss this is my job okay that is positive thinking. And four hours running and that my job is finish for today. Rebecca Brayton: When you first came up with this idea, did your friends and family think you are crazy? Stefaan Engels: Of course everybody, everybody say no, no, don’t do this no. You’ll break your body but I know what I’m doing, really. I have a really big team after me, a really big team of doctors, therapist. I have a team from maybe 15 persons so if I have a little of a big problem I can handle it. Now after eight months, the people will say may it’s possible what he’s doing. Maybe it’s possible to see. Rebecca Brayton: Thanks very much. Stefaan Engels: Yeah it's my pleasure.