In the hierarchy of extravagant running experiences, it’s hard to top the World Marathon Challenge, in which participants complete seven marathons in seven days on seven continents as they are whisked around the globe on charter flights. The sheer decadence of the event, which has an entry fee of around $40,000, would seem to make it an easy target for the growing contingent of anti-air travel activists. But presumably they have bigger fish to fry. All the better for the shameless running columnist who is always on the lookout for juicy takedown fodder.
Unfortunately, however, this particular shameless running columnist has also flown thousands of miles for running events over the last decade–either on my own dime or thanks to a Faustian invitation from a shoe brand. Hence, my eagerness to rip on the World Marathon Challenge is tempered by my own enthusiasm for long-distance travel. The German word for that enthusiasm is Fernweh—an almost painful yearning for far away places. As a chronic sufferer, I have a hard time saying no to a prospective trip—the farther away, the better. So far, this passion has been a…
