Dubai-based extreme athlete Marcus Smith took Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) into his stride, literally, by pledging to run 30 marathons in 30 days. Friday, 9 November marks day 15 of DFC and the halfway point of Smith’s herculean marathon challenge. This means he has pounded enough pavements to have completed a whopping 633 kilometers.
The mammoth task takes the DFC ambassador around four hours a day from when he sets off at 5am from his Satwa home. Smith plots his own routes, and his runs have taken him to finishing points across the city from Palm Jumeirah to Hamdan Sports Centre and Dubai Festival City to Arabian Ranches. He charts his progress daily on his blog and Instagram and has expressed delight at the number of runners who join him for stretches of his daily journey.
Smith, who launched performance company Innerfight and Paleo food provider, Smith St Paleo, is a former professional rugby player who retired from the sport in 2010. He competes in CrossFit, cycling, running, extreme endurance events and challenges. He is also a motivational speaker, fitness coach and entrepreneur.