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Dan Little crossed the fi nish line at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on April 23, 2022. Courtesy photo
Madill attorney Dan Little participated in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on April 23, 2022. Little, 79, is an avid runner.
Three years ago, he became the oldest runner to compete seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. Little has no plans of slowing down any time soon.
Little plans on breaking his own record in October, just one shy of turning 80 years old. He said it only makes sense to do it again.
“I was certifiable to do it the first time and I guess I am triple certifiable to do it the second time,” Little said in an interview with The Oklahoman.
Little’s record is nearly as long as the marathons he participates in. He has run a whopping 218 marathons or ultramarathons in the course of his life. He learned to swim and competed in his first Ironman triathlon at 60 years old.
Even though running is something that seems simple to Little, the World Marathon Challenge is difficult for even the most seasoned runners. The marathon challenges participants to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days – 168 hours.
This year’s marathon is scheduled for October 25, 2022, and begins in Novo in Antarctica. Then, jumps to Cape Town in Africa, Perth in Australia, Dubai in Asia, Madrid in Europe, Fortaleza in South America, and Miami in North America.
In the 2019 challenge, Little said the weather also added to the difficulty level of the marathon.
“Last time in Antarctica it got down to minus-20 and then within 25 hours we were starting Cape Town (the capital of South Africa) and they had a historic heat wave,” Little said in the interview. “It got up to 103.”
Little said he and the 40 other participants spend 156 hours on plane during the 2019 World Marathon.
Another difficulty for the World Marathon could be the price. Participants had to pay their own way. Little said the cost was approximately $35,000.
At Little’s age, he still works out every day, even if it’s just biking for 20 minutes. He said it is amazing what the human body can do.
Little claimed to be a slow runner. However, his goal isn’t to win, it’s to finish. He said he benefits by the competition. Little said it is important to finish.
“I deeply believe that we can all, young and old, do much more than we think we can,” he told The Oklahoman. “We should never let fear of failure stop us from pushing our limits and beyond.”