CV NEWS FEED // Elite runners from around the world completed the World Marathon Challenge Feb. 6, running seven marathons in seven days on each of the seven continents.
Alan Nawoj, a Catholic, won first place in Antarctica, Asia, and Europe and second place overall among the 36 male competitors. The CEO of a tech startup company in San Diego, California, Nawoj is also a husband and a father of four children. He ran to honor his late mother, who died a few years ago of breast cancer.
Nawoj spoke with CatholicVote this week about the marathon experience and what motivates him to keep running while raising a family and running a business.
Can you tell us about your background in running and what inspired you to take on the challenge of seven marathons in seven days on seven continents?
I’ve definitely been a lifelong runner. It’s something I’ve enjoyed ever since elementary school. I ran track and cross country and enjoyed it. There’s a lot of peace that comes with it. Going for a run clears your head — at least it does for me. The physical benefits of running have really helped me over the years. It’s been a great stress reliever through school and in growing my business. I consider myself a lifelong runner, and it’s something I’m very passionate about.
In my early days, I did a lot of shorter-distance races, like 5Ks, 10Ks, and 15Ks. Right after college, I attempted my first marathon in New York City. I remember finishing that one and saying, “I’m never going to do another marathon again,” because I felt so horrible afterward. But then something about it stuck with me. I felt like I could have done better, and that urge pushed me to sign up for another one. I think the rest is history. I started doing more and more marathons over the years and really came to enjoy distance. It’s obviously a very long race, but there’s a lot of strategy involved. I think that’s one of the things that really attracted me to it.
As things evolved, I started doing marathons not just in the U.S. but on all seven continents. There are a lot of factors to consider when you’re racing outside your home turf. I remember coming across an advertisement — or maybe someone mentioned it — the World Marathon Challenge. It stuck in my mind as the ultimate endurance test. At the time, I was building a company, so I couldn’t commit to the training, but that changed in the past couple of years, and I finally decided to give it a go.
For me, it was about proving to myself that I could accomplish something really big. It gave me something to strive for. I also wanted to set an example for my kids. I’m a father of four, and I want them to see that when you set your sights on something big, it doesn’t matter what age you are — you can accomplish it if you put in the work.
What kind of physical and mental training did you have to do to prepare for the challenge?
The physical training was pretty extreme. Gosh, I remember looking back at my running logs — I put in over 3,000 miles to prepare for the World Marathon Challenge. And it wasn’t just running. I spent a lot of time in the gym lifting weights to prevent injury because once you get up to those really high mileages, the risk increases. A lot of things can start to break down, as you can imagine. So I tried to keep my body strong.
Keeping my mind strong was just as important. A lot of it was self-coaching, talking to that inner voice and reminding myself, “I can do this.” Confidence builds over time through smaller achievements. In my buildup to the World Marathon Challenge, I ran several marathons as training runs, and each one gave me hope that I could get the job done.
Six months before the race, I had an injury that I thought would completely knock me out. That was worrisome. Clawing my way back from that took a lot, but it gave me a ton of confidence. From a mental standpoint, that part was critical. Your physical training can only take you so far — it’s your mind that pushes you over the finish line in all seven races.
How did you manage nutrition, hydration, and recovery between the races, especially while traveling constantly?
Honestly, one of the hardest parts of the World Marathon Challenge is recovery. Before this event, I had done 30 marathons, and I always gave myself weeks, if not months, to recover. You need that downtime for your body to recoup from the exertion. But with this, there’s no opportunity to fully recover between races.
The first key is not going all out in any one race. You’re not trying for a personal best in any of the seven marathons. Beyond that, it was all about eating as much as possible and staying hydrated, especially since some races were in extreme heat. Brazil was incredibly hot, and Perth, Australia, was tough too. You lose a lot of water covering that kind of distance, and if you don’t replenish fluids, it can lead to serious medical and psychological issues.
Sleep was another huge challenge. The toughest part for me was between the first and second marathons — Antarctica and Cape Town. We flew back from Antarctica on a cargo jet, which was extremely uncomfortable and loud. The seats were terrible — it felt like torture. I didn’t sleep for a single minute on that entire flight. Then, within two hours of landing, I was out running another full marathon in the heat. That was brutal, not just physically but mentally, especially in the second half of the race.
After that, the flights were much longer and on nicer planes where the seats reclined almost flat. I was able to get some sleep on most of those flights, which helped a lot. Honestly, we just did the best we could. The other runners were really supportive, and I made some lifelong friendships. When you’re thrown into such difficult conditions and everyone is in survival mode, it creates a really tight-knit group.
What was your biggest motivation for undertaking the challenge?
I’d say the biggest motivation for me going into it was to prove to myself that I could take on what almost seemed like an impossible challenge. I’m the kind of person who likes to push myself and test my own limits, and this absolutely did that — both physically and mentally.
Secondarily, and certainly not less important, my mother passed away from breast cancer a few years ago. I wanted to dedicate this experience and this race to her. I also set up a fundraising page before taking on the World Marathon Challenge, and I was really proud to raise over $6,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. That gave my participation a deeper meaning. It was really humbling to see so many people contribute and to know that something good came out of this. That organization funds the world’s most promising research to try to find a cure for breast cancer. If any family in the future can be spared the pain of losing a loved one, that’s a huge win. I see that as another really important dimension of my participation in the World Marathon Challenge.
Did your motivation change throughout the races?
I would say no. I was focused on those goals the entire time. It was always in the back of my mind. Number one, I wanted to finish. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. And number two, I wanted to honor my mom as part of this endeavor. I wasn’t going to quit when the pain kicked in because whatever physical pain I was feeling, I knew people battling a disease like that were experiencing pain in so many other ways. That was motivation for me to push through.
Honestly, I saw other runners dealing with a lot of pain, too. One guy injured his knee during one of the marathons, and he could have easily quit. Instead, he asked for crutches from the medical staff and finished the remaining marathons on crutches — which was just unbelievable. He could have said, “That’s it, I’m done,” but he didn’t. Seeing that was incredibly inspiring. I saw other acts like that as well. As the races went on, injuries started to mount up, and the medical staff got pretty busy toward the end. But witnessing those moments certainly pushed me forward.
Were there moments where you felt like quitting? It sounds like the injured man’s perseverance really pushed you through.
It did, yeah. That was definitely a huge motivator. Comments from other runners during the event also pushed me forward. I had a friendly competition going with Paul Holborn from the United Kingdom, who ended up winning the overall title. He and I traded wins across several continents. We’re both pretty competitive people, so it was a lot of fun and a part of the experience that I really cherish.
Paul won Africa and Australia, and I won Antarctica, Asia, and Europe. Then we were both in South America for the sixth marathon. The conditions were absolutely brutal—90 degrees Fahrenheit, super humid. We were pouring sweat before the race even started. We both really struggled. We didn’t have to say anything to each other — we just stuck together for the entire 26.2 miles, helping each other at the aid stations. I remember dunking my head in ice water next to him at several of them just to stay cool.
We finished that race together. We crossed the finish line side by side in Brazil, and that was a really special moment for me — something I’ll never forget. The camaraderie and support from the other runners, and Paul in particular, made a huge difference.
You mentioned you won the Antarctica marathon. What was that experience like, and how did it compare to the other races in terms of difficulty?
It was an incredible experience. Antarctica is such a unique place. They designed the race as a 10-loop course because they don’t want runners straying too far from the start and finish areas. The environment is really harsh, and conditions can change quickly.
I remember about halfway through the first loop, I pulled into the front, and I thought, “Geez, there’s no way I can hold this lead. There are some really talented runners here. I’m going to get blown out as the race goes on.” But as the event kept going and I was feeling good, I held my position.
On the last loop, with about 2.6 miles to go, I took a quick glance back and didn’t see anyone. That’s when it hit me, “Oh my goodness, I think I might have this.” It was a surreal feeling. I’ll never forget that moment. When I broke the tape and they handed me the American flag to hold, it was really emotional.
Standing there in that surreal landscape — just white everywhere — was overwhelming. Even now, I’m still processing it. It was definitely one of the most special moments, if not the most special moment, of the entire experience.
Each location must have presented unique challenges. Was there a particular race that was the most physically or mentally demanding for you?
Cape Town, by far. I had never done two marathons back-to-back within 24 hours before. That was a first. And to do it on zero sleep — I basically pulled an all-nighter and then ran another 26.2 miles in the heat with no shade — it was horrendous. The second half of that race was brutal. I wanted so badly to quit, but that was the true test of mind over body for me. I struggled all the way to the finish line.
Second to that was the race in Brazil, just because the heat and humidity were so oppressive. At least when it’s cold, you can put on extra layers. But when it’s that hot and humid, your body just starts to overheat, and it’s really hard to cool down and reach any kind of equilibrium. That race was tougher for me than Antarctica, purely because of the conditions.
Your family was waiting for you at the finish line in Miami. What was it like to have them there after that?
It was very emotional, first of all. I remember when I saw them, it was hard to hold back tears because it was such an experience. It almost felt like a dream. One of the other competitors mentioned that the whole week felt like a dream because it went by so fast. We actually finished the whole thing in slightly less than six days, which is incredible. The logistics crew and race organizers did a phenomenal job making that happen.
You’re running on this adrenaline high, feeling all these different emotions — pain, joy, relief —t hat this is the seventh one. And then seeing them there was really emotional for me. It meant so much. It meant the world to have them there. My wife and four kids were there, but my brother-in-law and his family also surprised me. They drove down from North Carolina to be at the finish line, and I couldn’t believe it when I saw them. It was so special. It was really wonderful to have them there.
That race started in the middle of the night — just before 1 a.m. East Coast time — which made it even tougher, especially for young kids. I was worried about them, thinking, “Oh gosh, how are they going to handle this?” But they were troupers. They were there cheering when I went by. It was a four-loop course, with each loop just over 10 kilometers, so they got to see me pass at each one. And then they were there when I crossed the finish line.
It was a big sigh of relief for me, first of all, to have finished and not injured myself. But to have them there was incredibly special.
And now that you’ve conquered this, what’s next?
That’s a great question. Honestly, I don’t know just yet. I wanted to give myself some time to heal and recover — this just happened, and it was such a whirlwind. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.
For me, I want to do something that has meaning and does good for the world as my next step. I’m not quite sure what that will be yet, but I definitely don’t want to give up on my running goals or pursuits. Running brings me a lot of joy, so I’ll definitely set new goals. I just don’t know what they are at the moment.
It’s going to be tough to top this. I remember people saying the same thing during the event, like, “How are we going to top this after it’s over?” And honestly, it is tough to top. But for me, the goal isn’t to outdo it — it’s to push myself to be a better person and use my God-given talents. That’s really what I need to figure out — what’s next for me. That’s going to be my compass.
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