Around the World in Seven Marathons
Septuagenarian Bryan Benton ’77 has run a marathon on every continent.
Within 12 months of his 70th birthday, Bryan Benton ’77 ran a marathon on each of the seven continents. While he’s always been active, participating in tennis, racquetball and football through the years, it wasn’t until he made an offhand comment about his wife’s running that he picked up the sport. She’d just completed her first marathon in Raleigh, when, as Benton tells the story, he “mistakenly made the comment, ‘Well, you walked some.’” He laughs about it now and says, “That didn’t go over so well.” Her response: “If you think it’s so easy, why don’t you do it?” And so he did.
Benton ran his first marathon in 2009 and since then has run 19 more. He’s traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Marine Corps Marathon and around the world, literally, for races. The most memorable were in Greece, the storied birthplace of the 26.2-mile run; Aruba, where the race started at 3:15 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day; and Antarctica, where some of the spectators were penguins.
Training, working through the logistics of the races and planning what to wear for the various climates was an all-consuming task. Benton started his seven-continent challenge in October 2023, when he was 69, checking off North America and Europe. For the remaining five races, he mapped out his plan on a 2024 desk calendar and worked with a marathon travel club to help with the itinerary. He was concerned that he might have to wait a year or two for a spot in the Antarctica race, which he says is not uncommon. But he wrote to the travel club and said, “Look, I’ve turned 70, and if I don’t do this now, I don’t know when I might have another chance.” He was on their next ship to the continent.
Look, I’ve turned 70, and if I don’t do this now, I don’t know when I might have another chance.
While he placed first in his age group in Antarctica, Benton says, “I’m not a professional, and I gave up winning a long time ago.” Instead, he runs to stay healthy. He’s had a few minor injuries — plantar fasciitis, shin splints, a torn meniscus — but for the most part, it’s been an easy pace. “I’m just happy to be out there, happy to be above ground, seeing the blue sky,” he says.
And about that mistaken comment to his wife, Benton says, “She has forgiven me — I think.”
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