The World Marathon Challenge route (Credit: World Marathon Challenge/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Running a single marathon is hard enough for most people. Now, imagine doing it seven times on seven continents in less than 168 hours — or seven days. That is exactly what the annual World Marathon Challenge dares participants to accomplish. As if that were not enough, they also compete for the fastest total time across all seven races.

The annual event is limited to just 60 athletes and costs $48,000 per person. This year's challenge, held from January 31 to February 6, 2025, drew participants from 21 countries. The youngest was 18, while the oldest was an impressive 68! The race kicked off in Ultima Base, Antarctica, followed by marathons in Cape Town (Africa), Perth (Australia), Dubai (Asia), Madrid (Europe), Fortaleza (South America), and Miami (North America).

Runners brave icy conditions in Antarctica (Credit: World Marathon Challenge/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Each leg required participants to complete a full 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon before boarding a plane to the next destination. In total, they traveled over 26,000 miles (40,000 km) crossed 18 time zones, and ran 183.4 miles (295.15 km). Along the way, they faced temperatures ranging from a frigid 5°F (-15°C) in Antarctica to a sweltering 95°F (35°C) in South America. With just three hours between landing and running again, the challenge pushed their physical and mental endurance to the limit.

The 2025 overall winner was Paul Holborn, a British native who now lives in San Antonio, Texas. He averaged 3:22:36 per marathon, finishing with a total time of 23 hours and 38 minutes. Holborn's achievement is even more remarkable, considering he ran his first marathon just 19 months before the event. A former boxer, Holborn had given up exercising at age 27 due to long work hours. Determined to get back into shape, he searched online for the world’s toughest endurance events and found the World Marathon Challenge.

“I thought, ‘Who on earth can do seven marathons in seven days? That’s legendary!’ But I couldn’t shake the idea. My wife backed me all the way, and that was it - I threw myself into training," Holborn said.

Paul Holborn won the 2025 World Marathon Challenge (Credit: World Marathon Challenge/ CC-BY-SA-2.0)

Holborn turned out to be a natural runner. He finished his first marathon in about three hours, coming in second. This encouraged him to take on the World Marathon Challenge, which he won, despite being one of the least experienced competitors.

“I kept expecting these guys to overtake me, but I just got stronger with each race. I learned so much about myself that week," he said. “At times, it felt impossible. My legs were screaming, my body wanted to shut down, but I refused to quit. I just kept reminding myself — this was my moment.”

Holborn is the first Briton to win the challenge. While thrilled with the victory, he is already looking ahead to new goals. They include attempting a 75-mile (120.7 km) ultra-marathon in Scotland and climbing Africa's tallest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Resources: BBC.com, Exploreweb.com, worldmarathonchallenge.com