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Florida volunteer tackles grueling World Marathon Challenge

ACS DetermiNation Endurance athlete running marathons on seven continents in seven days.

Running used to be something Brandi Myers avoided or endured reluctantly. But, after rediscovering it post-knee surgery – and connecting with American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation Endurance Series – it’s something she now craves. Fortunate for Brandi since she has embarked on a logistical and physical challenge to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. 

On Jan. 31, Brandi headed out on The World Marathon Challenge. Competitors must run the standard 42.2 km marathon distance in Antarctica, Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, South America and North America within 168 hours, or 7 days. The clock started when the first marathon began in Antarctica. 

Originally from outside of Chicago, IL, and currently living and training outside of Orlando, FL, she works full time for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago as well as part time for RunDisney. 

“I ran my first half marathon in 2011 and, while training, wondered what I could do to make the finish line worth more,” Brandi explained. She has now run seven previous DetermiNation events, some of which are pictured above, raising more than $25,691. So far this year, she has raised nearly $15,000.

In 2020, Brandi was injured and unable to complete all seven marathons in this event. She's looking forward to finishing the entire challenge this year. 

There is a competition element within the trip - the fastest combined marathon times, or average marathon time, for male and female categories are declared the outright winners of the overall challenge. But Brandi’s focus will be running in honor of remarkable people in her life who have been impacted by cancer, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, a cousin, her godfather, and friends, with thoughts of them carrying her along each step.

“When running is an act of love, it is joyful and can carry you further than you ever thought possible,” Brandi said. “I can’t wait to continue and complete this journey and am incredibly excited to meet another group of amazing people sharing in this adventure.”

Follow Brandi’s journey on DetermiNation’s Instagram and Facebook posts. The World Marathon Challenge is expected to wrap up Feb. 6 in Miami, FL.


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