Alumni One Marathon Sound Taxing? Try Seven—Worldwide—in a Week Stories You May Like She’s Got Game: Sarah Spain ’02 Is a Star of Sports Journalism At Paris Olympics, Figure Skater Karen Chen ’23 Gets Her Gold Through Cycling Tours, Alum Peddles her Passion Engineering alum Alan Nawoj ’01 completed a grueling event that started in snow and ice and ended—six days later—in sunny Miami By Melissa Newcomb Alan Nawoj ’01 has run marathons all over the world—from the snows of Antarctica to the African coast to the hills of Spain. And as if that’s not impressive (or tiring) enough: he did it all in a week. In February 2025, Nawoj completed the World Marathon Challenge, in which athletes run a marathon on all seven continents within seven days (168 hours). “It was a phenomenal experience,” says the electrical engineering alum, who finished fourth overall, second in the men’s division, and first among U.S. competitors. “It’s kind of hard to wrap your mind around. I’m still processing it several months later.” The challenge is an organized event in which a group of around 60 participants flies on a chartered plane from one marathon to the next. The travel time offers just about their only opportunity to sleep; Nawoj estimates he got about 20 hours during the entire trip. With his medals, moments after completing the challenge. To prepare, he trained full-time for a year—taking advantage of a break after his tech start-up, a software platform for the automotive industry, was acquired. He regularly ran more than 80 miles per week—sometimes more than 100—and lifted weights, with a focus on injury prevention. The challenge’s first race is in Antarctica, where runners tackle 26.2 miles through snow and freezing temperatures. The course follows a repeating loop, since runners could otherwise get lost in whiteout conditions—or even fall into a nearby crevasse. “I found myself pulling ahead of the other competitors and I thought ‘There’s no way,’” recalls Nawoj, who consumed 5,000–6,000 calories daily to keep his energy up. “On the final loop, I took my first quick glance behind me—and there was nobody there. Finishing first in Antarctica was exhilarating.” To prepare, Nawoj trained for a full year—running roughly four marathons each week. The group moved on to a sunny, paved course that meandered along the ocean in Cape Town, South Africa; in Perth, Australia, they ran in the dark with headlamps—and were told to watch out for snakes on the trail. At the Dubai race, Nawoj had a one-man cheering section: fellow electrical engineering alum Anish Jain ’01, who lives in the city. Throughout the weeklong event, Nawoj developed a friendly rivalry with the eventual men’s winner, British-Canadian runner Paul Holborn—a relationship that was later featured in the New York Times. Racing Around the Globe in ... Antarctica; Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Dubai, UAE; Madrid, Spain; Fortaleza, Brazil; and Miami, FL. In fact, Holborn told the paper’s sports platform, the Athletic, that Nawoj deserved partial credit for his win. Stories You May Like She’s Got Game: Sarah Spain ’02 Is a Star of Sports Journalism At Paris Olympics, Figure Skater Karen Chen ’23 Gets Her Gold “I’ve become good friends with him, even though we wouldn’t talk for the whole three hours [of the race],” Holborn said. “We were running each other down. All week he made me run quicker than I wanted to, so a lot of this is down to him!” All week he made me run quicker than I wanted to, so a lot of this is down to him! Men's winner Paul Holborn on Nawoj, in the Athletic After marathons in Madrid, Spain, and Fortaleza, Brazil, came the final one in Miami—where Nawoj’s wife, children, and other relatives were waiting at the finish line. “I remember seeing that I was at mile 25 and thinking ‘Wow, I just have a little over a mile to go in this entire thing,” says Nawoj, who boasted an average time of 3:25:39 across the seven races. “Seeing my family at the conclusion was one of my favorite moments of the whole journey.” With his wife, children, and niece after the final race in Miami. Nawoj’s interest in running stretches back to fourth grade, when he joined the cross country team, later adding track and field and competing throughout middle and high school. On the Hill, he ran in intramural competitions, with clubs, and in local races, and particularly enjoyed running through the Botanic Gardens and around Beebe Lake. “I’m a competitive person, and the thing I’ve always been drawn to about running is that it really comes down to my own performance,” says Nawoj. “If I don’t do well in a race, I have nobody to blame but myself.” I’m a competitive person, and the thing I’ve always been drawn to about running is that it really comes down to my own performance. While 2025 marked the first time Nawoj did the official challenge, he’d actually already run marathons on all seven continents—just through his own travels over the years. In fact, from 2014–18, he held the Guinness world record for fastest aggregate marathon time on the seven continents (21:55:02). Says Nawoj: “I have always been drawn to how I can push my body to its limit.” Top: Nawoj racing in Dubai. (All photos courtesy of World Marathon Challenge / Runbuk.) 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