Becca Pizzi has upped her training into an already busy life to take on the World Marathon Challenge. (PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ULTIMA REPLENISHER)
With a 5K PR of 18:11 and a marathon best of 3:25, there’s no question Becca Pizzi can run fast. But her speed may not be her greatest strength. In 30 years of being a runner, Pizzi says she’s never had an injury.
Even as her training has increased to between 70 to 100 miles a week in recent months, Pizzi, 35, of Belmont, Massachusetts, has stayed healthy. These recovery superpowers, coupled with her ability to sleep well on airplanes, should serve her well as she attempts to become the first American woman to complete the World Marathon Challenge—seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.
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The race, which is in its second year, will begin January 23 at Antarctica’s Union Glacier, weather permitting. (Race organizers have a little wiggle room regarding when they start because of unpredictable weather conditions in Antarctica.)
Over the course of the seven days, the event’s 15 participants run seven marathons—a little over 183 miles total—and fly about 23,000 miles with 59 hours in the air.
The race takes them from Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile; Miami, Florida; Madrid, Spain; Marrakesh, Morocco; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Sydney, Australia.
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The closest Pizzi has ever spaced her marathons is six days apart, but she feels ready to take on her greatest challenge.
“[The race] is something I’ve prepared my entire life for,” Pizzi told Runner’s World by phone. “If the race was tomorrow, I’d be ready.”
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Pizzi took up running at 6 years old. She was inspired by her father, Fred Pizzi, 62, who ran collegiately for the University of Massachusetts and still runs today. Even when she was pregnant with her 8-year-old daughter, Taylor, Pizzi ran up until two days before she gave birth. She also ran at Mars Hill University in North Carolina and has 45 marathons to her credit, including 15 Boston Marathons.
Last year, Marianna Zaikova of Finland became the first and only woman to complete the event. Zaikova posted an aggregate time of 40:22:45, averaging 5:46:06 per marathon. Pizzi is hoping to average 3:50 per marathon to set a new challenge record.
Pizzi followed last year’s World Marathon Challenge from home before reaching out to some of the competitors. She said that Zaikova has provided helpful advice about preparing for the event, even though it might mean seeing her record go down.
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“I’ll do the same thing for the next person. I’m saving my notes and everything that I’ve done,” Pizzi said. “Runners are great like that, they just help each other. It’s just such an awesome running community.”
This year’s field includes four women, 11 men, and five Americans, including Pizzi. The price of admission is not cheap—the event has an entry fee of nearly $36,000. To offset costs Pizzi has recruited sponsors, including Ultima Replenisher, Dr. Cool, and the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group, who will collectively cover about 90 percent of her entry fee.
“I know it’s going to be an unbelievable test of endurance and strength, and I really am looking forward to exploring the world on my feet,” Pizzi said.
Parts of her intense training regimen have included long runs of 20 miles, 15 miles, and 20 miles on consecutive days. On top of that, Pizzi also works seven days a week between her two jobs as manager of an ice cream shop and operating a day care. The single mother also coaches two different running groups on the side.
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When she decided she wanted to try the World Marathon Challenge, Pizzi said the first person she consulted was Taylor. Even though she would be the person most affected by the trip, Taylor gave her mother the go ahead.
Beyond the miles and the travel, being away from home for two weeks may be the toughest part of the challenge. But Pizzi believes it’s an opportunity to show her daughter what’s possible.
“I’m not one to crack under pressure,” Pizzi said. “I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders, but I do feel like I’m given an opportunity to show my daughter just to believe in yourself—and she’s been with me the entire way.”
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