Dubai Fitness Challenge: UAE resident to run 30 marathons in 30 days

He has been a resident of the UAE for 35 years.-Supplied photo

Dubai - After retiring from the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens, Smith shifted his focus to extreme challenges.

For most, the very thought of running an entire marathon can be intimidating, one that requires weeks and months of building emotional and physical endurance. But long-term Dubai resident Marcus Smith's fitness challenge is to run 30 marathons in 30 days.
He is all set to run the entire marathon distance every day for the next 30 days, even after suffering a life-threatening accident in February this year. The extreme athlete and high-performance coach has completed the first two days of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, taking a little over four hours to complete the run.
Speaking to Khaleej Times after completing the second day of his challenge, Smith said: "I am not thinking of the challenge as 30 days. Taking it one day at a time." He begins the run from his home in Satwa at 5:00am and runs towards Jumeirah and Kite Beach. Marcus uses a live tracker on Instagram and invites people to join him in the run.
"The good thing about the challenge is that residents are on the move. I run the entire distance on my own, but over the last couple of days, some people have been accompanying me in running shorter distances," he said. "Some people run 15 km, some do 10, some run 5. It is up to them."
Life-long fitness
The 39-year-old British expat owns the Al Quoz-based fitness companies Inner Fight and Smith Street Paleo and has been a resident of the UAE for 35 years. He currently lives in Satwa with his wife Holly. After retiring from the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens, Smith shifted his focus to extreme challenges.
Smith grew up in an environment of regular fitness activities. "My parents were always running and cycling. In school, I focused more on sports and athletics than my school work," he said, laughing.
He has completed a triple ascent of the Tour De Frances hardest climb, Mont Ventoux, and run multiple marathons and ultra-marathons, notably the 2015 self-supported Marathon Des Sables through the Sahara Desert, as well as twice completing 50km in the 50-degree heat.
Smith gave up a career in the corporate world to pursue a career in extreme fitness. He believes that all people must be able to lead a reasonably healthy lifestyle. "It is about creating a strong community and preparing people for anything in life. A sedentary lifestyle is killing so many people," he said.
"I started Inner Fight in 2008, thinking that all people should be able to do basic things like play with their kids, walk up the stairs. Obesity is a global phenomenon, and lot stems from eating processed foods," he added.
Training after an accident
In February this year, while training for an ultra-cycling world record, Marcus was hit by a truck and left fighting for his life with seven broken ribs, a broken scapula, and a collapsed lung. He said: "The accident took place on the Sharjah - Kalba road. I was basically fighting for my life as I was in intensive care for three days and I was in a hospital for 10 days."
However, Marcus believes that the accident happened for a reason. "Everyone said that I was lucky to be alive. But everything happens for a reason, and I figured I got a second chance."
The last three months have been very intense for the extreme athlete as he has been running 150-200km per week to get his body used to some of the upcoming races.
"I've never trained anyone to run 30 marathons back to back. The most I've run is five marathons back to back." Marcus is on a strict paleo diet, consisting of rich, unprocessed, natural meats, fruits, and vegetables. He consumes 6,000 to 7,000 calories per day, aiding in quick recovery. He gets eight hours of sleep every day as well.
The athlete is not worried about completing the challenge. "If I have a problem, I can walk. I've promised my family that I won't compromise my long-term health. If there is anything that causes permanent damage to my body, I will stop."

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