Waxahachie man ran 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents

When Paul Box of Waxahachee landed at DFW International Airport on Wednesday afternoon, he didn’t quite understand what time it was or what day it was.

“I’m tired,” said Box. “I just ran the World Marathon Challenge which is 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 different continents.”

Boxing applied for an extreme sports competition after hearing about it at the Boston Marathon.

“In the world of running, it should be something like climbing Everest,” Box said. “Once the race was over, we would go back to the airport, get on the plane and fly to the next location.”

World marathon challenge started in Antarctica, where runners faced -11 degree weather and 40 mph wind gusts. There, Box ran his slowest of 7 marathons, crossing the finish line in 3 hours and 54 minutes.

“It was brutal,” Box said as he flipped through the photos on his phone. “It was the hardest race I’ve ever been in.”

From Antarctica, the World Marathon Challenge traveled to Africa, Australia, Europe, South America and then finished in North America in Miami.

“It’s a feeling of being half dead and yet completely alive,” Box said, quoting a fellow runner. “Dan, he’s 80 years old, he’s from Oklahoma.”

All those miles of road and snow helped Box learn something about himself.

“That our bodies are stronger than we can imagine, that they are capable of doing things that seem ridiculous,” Box said. “I hope my daughters learn to be adventurous in life. I mean, adventures await all of us, you just have to find them!”

Boxing finished 3rd overall in the World Marathon Challenge. His next scheduled marathon is the Boston Marathon in April. “If I don’t find another thing to do before then,” said Box, smiling.