Join Dave Jones on his quest to run a marathon on every continent in less than 7 days.
“I got into running because I hated to run.”
Dave Jones hasn’t always had a passion for running marathons. In fact, for a long time he was an avid smoker – two packs a day. But in October of 2012, Jones decided he needed to make a change. He realized that if he could condition himself to associate smoking with going for a run (something that had always been considered a punishment), he’d train himself to never want to pick up another cigarette again.
“I tossed the rest of my nicotine that night and when I had the urge to smoke, I went out and ran…to the end of the driveway and came back huffing and puffing. Ten minutes later I had to go out and run again.“
After just a few weeks Jones’ desire for a cigarette disappeared, but his stamina had gotten better. That’s when he decided he wanted a new challenge – he was going to run a marathon.
He began to train every day, before and after work. He ran one marathon, then another, and another, getting 18 medals in his first year. The next challenge? Ironman. After that? Trimming three hours from his best Ironman time. But it was his next goal that truly set him apart in the running community.
In January Jones successfully completed the Triple 7 Quest, running a marathon on every continent in less than 7 days. Perth, Australia to Singapore, on to Cairo, Egypt then Amsterdam, followed by New York, Punta Arenas, and finally King George Island, Antarctica. All public marathons, all within 168 hours.
“It’s hard to run a marathon every day, but the most difficult part of the Triple 7 Quest is the constant go, go, go and stress on top of all the running. As soon as we (would) land we’d rush to the hotel and only have a few minutes to get ready for the race.”
Jones says it’s difficult to describe what the support from fellow Mountaineers has meant to him, “It’s hard for me to put into words what WVU, and the mountaineer family mean to me. It is foundational to say the least…I was a mountaineer from a small child. I was always going to be a Mountaineer!”
To learn more about Dave and stay up to date with his latest goals visit his website: https://www.eternalendurance.com/