7/28/2019 Gold Coast Bulletin - 130629b

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NEWS 7GOLD COAST: 2018 Commonwealth Games Host CitySaturday, 29-6-13

goldcoast.com.augoldcoast.com.au

RUN, TRENT, RUNHe certainly does three marathonsa week, 160for the year and theGold Coast next on his hit list

sanfrancisco

LOndon

THE GOLDEN MILES

When Trent Morrow runsacross the finish line of theGold Coast Marathon, hewill have done the followingsince January 1:

Completed 70 marathonsin eight countries and 23American states

Run 2953.7km

Driven 15,905km

Flown 114,020km

Travelled 2330km on trains

Visit marathonman.com.au

texas

DWAYNEGRANT

BEFORE explaining why on earth hewants to run more than 160

marathons this calendar year,Trent Morrow wants to make one

thing clear.Im not an elite athlete, the

40-year-old said in the lead-upto next weekends Gold CoastMarathon, aka No. 70. Im justa man off the street having ago. This time last year I wassitting behind my desk slavingaway like everyone else.

Not any more. These days,depending

on who youask, Morrowis aninspirationor thecraziest manto ever pullon a runningshoe. Sincestarting hisworld recordattempt onNew YearsDay inHouston,Texas, theSydneysiderhas completed the 42.2km distancein eight countries and 23 US states.

And, like Forrest Gump, he justkeeps on running.

Physically Im feeling prettygood, although there have beentimes Ive been concerned, he said.

In March I did 13 marathons in13 days in California and planned todo another four, but had to pull thepin. I didnt know if I had a fractureor shin splints so I pulled back,which was a good decision becausethe injury has since calmed down.

There still hasnt been aweekend when I havent run amarathon. Im quite proud of that.

Morrows transformation fromdesk jockey to Marathon Man beganon New Years Eve 2006. At thechristening of his niece, he spotteda family photo and almost didntrecognise himself. He was 30kgoverweight, unhealthy and

unmotivated.

Nine months later he ran his firsthalf-marathon. Six months on hecompleted the 250km Marathon desSables across the Sahara Desert.Next came his first full marathon in

Prague, followed by sixmarathons in sixweeks on threecontinents. This wasno running bug. It wasa beast.

In both 2011 and2012 Morrow was theonly person to run anofficial marathon inevery Australianstate and territory, aswell as both islandsof New Zealand. Bythe end of 2012,having completed 78marathons in four

years, the majority in his MarathonMan costume, he was ready for anew challenge.

Personal heartache then provideda reason for

finding one.This year

is not onlythe 20thanniversaryof my mumlosing herbrave fightagainst coloncancer, but Ialso learnedmy stepmumwas battlingterminal lungcancer,Morrow saidof his mission to raise support forcancer charities by attacking theGuinness World Record for the mostofficial marathons in a calendar year.

I made a big call on Melbourne

Cup day last year to walk awayfrom my career (in sales) to dothis, he recalled. A lot of peoplethink geez, this guy must bewealthy but thats so not true.

Im scrimping and saving andits going to take some sponsorshipsupport to keep this dream going.

While the current world record is114 marathons, a yet-to-be-assessed claim of 157 meantMorrow had to aim higher whenpulling on his cape. Running anaverage of three marathons a weekis also only part of the challenge.

The travel does take it out ofyou, he explained. A couple oftimes Ive had no sleep before thestart line.

Ill finish a race, drive severalhours to an airport, fly acrossAmerica still wearing my costumeand drive straight to the next event. . . airports have become my homeaway from home.

There was a race in Miamiwhere my eyes were hanging out ofmy head. All the senses wereabsolutely blaring. The sunlight wasjust so harsh and every noise wasdeafening. Thats the sort of stuffpeople dont understand. They askwhat number Im up to and thinkthats good without realising thelogistical feat.

Just being able to

back up and get tothe start line is halfthe battle, but thatswhat life is about just being on thestart line and doingthe best you can.

Amid thefriendships formedand goals achievedhave come lows,none worse thanwhen Morrowreceived word hisstepmother had lost

her battle with cancer.The last time I saw her I stayed

as long as I could but eventuallyhad to run out the door to catch aflight so I could run a damnmarathon, he said. When I

learned shed died, I got up the nextmorning and dedicated that daysmarathon to her memory.

Morrow is in Cairns this weekendcompleting three marathons inthree days. Then next weekend itwill be the Gold Coasts turn to notonly play host to Marathon Man butbe inspired by him.

Ive met so many runners thisyear who have incredible stories former drug addicts, cancersurvivors, reformed alcoholics, hesaid. Its pretty powerful when youhear those stories and if just oneperson doing it tough can get a liftout of my own, Ive done my job.

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