“I am the first person in the world to run an ultra marathon on every continent”

Brent Weigner from USA is joining us for the 2023 XXL Energy Congo River Marathon, his 199 country to run a marathon in. He has been running his entire life and in 2017 he ran 38 international marathons just in one year.

You are the World Record Holder in marathons for first to race on every continent. 

No, I am the first person in the world to run an ultra marathon on every continent.

With running the 2023 XXL Energy Congo River Marathon, you will set a new record, in how many countries you have run a marathon. 

The Congo River Marathon will be country number 199. There is confusion about how many countries exist. It all depends on which list you use. I use the ISO list of 249.

Was this a dream of yours from a very young age? 

No. I had not really considered the challenge until much later in life.  One of my earliest challenges was to run a marathon in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. I have ADHD and I just like to move so running came naturally. I can’t ever remember not running. I have been running my entire life. I don’t need a reason to run.

When did you start with running and how did you become so passionate about it?

I can’t ever remember not running. I have been running my entire life. I don’t need a reason to run. I guess I became passionate and competitive with my running in elementary school when we had field days. I loved the competition and I still do today.

Where did you run your first marathon and how did that go?

I ran my first marathon on June 30, 1968 in Whitewater Wisconsin. I had just graduated from high school and was working as a counselor in northern Wisconsin at Olympia sport Village. In high school I had been a 400 and 800 meter runner. I held the school record for the 800.  A friend at the camp convinced me to run the marathon. We drove several hours down to Whitewater, which is just south of Madison Wisconsin. Because I was a fast guy I thought I would just go out and win the marathon. I was with the lead pack and we went through 20 miles just under 2 hours. I was a rookie and knew nothing about proper hydrating, electrolytes, gel, packs, pacing, etc..  I crashed and burned big-time and wanted to drop out. I think every muscle in my body was cramping. I tried to sit down in the ditch along the side of a country road and wait for a ride. However, the minute I sat down there were so many cramps I thought I better just keep walking. It  it took me one hour and 53 minutes to cover the last 10 km. My finishing time was three hours and 53 minutes. For the next few days I had trouble walking and especially going up and down stairs. I think it wasn’t long after that that I discovered I have a talent for tolerating pain. When I was coaching, I would tell my athletes one secret to success is learning to feel comfortable being uncomfortable.

How many marathons and Ultra’s have you completed until this day?

319 marathons and 67 ultramarathons for a total of 386.

What is your highest number in running international marathons in a year?

During 2017  my wife let me go crazy and I ran international marathons in 38 different countries. My best time was 4:14:01 in Carthage, Tunisia.

How did you manage to balance your private life, your professional life and your passion for running marathons around the world? 

My wife of 38 years is very understanding and she has accompanied me on many trips.  The day after our wedding during the honeymoon, I actually raced a 20 mile. She has served on various medical teams for some of the multi day stage races I’ve run such as the Racing The Planet series. We both retired the same day on June 4, 2010. Everything was paid off and we had no bills. We have been enjoying life ever since. We recently had lunch at a restaurant in Denver, Colorado. On the wall of one restaurants was a quote by Bruce Lee. It read, to hell with circumstances, I create opportunities. Sue said she better understands me now.

What are your proudest accomplishments in your running history? 

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. However, I am proud, but not prideful, of many things. I am very proud of the fact that God has allowed me to be a running ambassador around the world and to share the free gift of grace and salvation.  Every day I pray, Lord, help me continue to train, run and race to the best of my ability to the glory of Your name. I am also very proud of my wife because she has allowed me to pursue my passion for running.

Many things I’m proud of involved my coaching.  During high school, I set the school record for the 800 meter run. I received an athletic scholarship to the University of Northern Colorado. I won the first cross country  meet my college career and was selected as athlete of the week by the school newspaper. At the end of the cross country season I went to see the coach for my letter award. He told me that cross country was only a club and not a men’s varsity sport. I transferred to Arizona State University in Tempe Arizona. My new coach told me I should’ve waited until after my sophomore year because of NCAA rules. He said he would have to redshirt me and I could not participate with the team. I called my old coach back and asked him if my scholarship was still available. He said yes Brent we would love to have you come back and help the team. I told him I couldn’t do that unless cross country became a men’s varsity sport. He said he would write me a letter, and I would have to take it to the board of athletic control.  The University gives me credit for founding the varsity men’s cross-country team. My friend Jim and I were the first two runners from UNC to run the NCAA cross country championships in Wheaton, Illinois.  I founded and directed the Wyoming marathon races for 38 years. I also founded the first girls cross country team at Cheyenne Central high school and the girls cross-country team at McCormick junior high school in Cheyenne Wyoming. When I retired from teaching my junior high girls team had won every city and conference championship for 32 years straight, the long winning streak for any secondary school in Wyoming. In 1980 not long after training my girls at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs my 17-18 girls team won the national AAU junior Olympic cross country championships.

In terms of my own specific running accomplishments, I will mention a few: When I ran the Everest marathon, I was the 1st place American and also first place in the 60 and over age group. My first hundred mile trail race was the western states 100 mile trail race and I won a silver belt buckle for breaking 24 hours. I was one of only 10 finishers in the first Leadville 100 mile trail race. I helped organize and ran the first, last, and only marathon/ultramarathon ever run at the geographic south pole. I organized and ran the first marathon/ultra marathon at the geographic north pole. I’m the only person in the world to have run ultra marathons at the geographic south pole and the geographic north pole. I was the first person in the world to run an ultra marathon on every continent. I have since run marathons, and or ultra marathons on all seven continents 10 times. No, I do not know the name of a good therapist. I have organized international marathons in the Vatican, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Montserrat, American Samoa and Tuvalu.

What was the biggest challenge/ obstacle that you had to overcome?

When I was 12 years old in 1962, I was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma, also known as lymphoma. The doctors told my parents that I had six months to a year to live. My parents didn’t tell me of the situation. I found out several years later, when I was going to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Air Force. My CO told me I’d been classified 4F, physically unfit for military duty. He gave me my medical records and that’s when I found out. I was so blessed to be alive. They also said my chances of clinical survival, meaning I would live five years or longer, was less than 1%. The radiation treatments and the chemo therapy were very difficult. Since that time I have had other forms of cancer and had a total of 9 surgeries. 

I have been touched by the fire of the Holy Spirit numerous times. My marathon blessings are not about me, but the Lord. One of the most amazing miracles I’ve ever witnessed in my life was after my major brain surgery.  I had a meningioma tumor the size of a fist in my brain. In January 2020 the surgery was performed. I was in and out of the hospital in 48 hours. I had not run for two months when the surgeon said it would be OK for me to do a marathon. On march 12 I ran a marathon on the island of Socotra in Yemen. We also did a 10K and we’re scheduled to do an aquathon swim and run. However, we had to leave the country early because the coronavirus lockdowns were beginning. We flew to the capital Aden on the mainland and sat in the terminal for nine hours. We were literally the last flight out of Yeman before the lockdowns begin.

What do you love most about traveling the world and running marathons? 

I taught world geography for 35 years. My 12- and 13-year-old 7th graders loved my running stories because I would weave them in to the lessons. In many of the countries, my favorite things happen before or after the marathon. I would make new friends and enjoy the challenges together with them. I would also marvel about the physical geography of the location and the cultures.  Some of my favourite activities involved getting up close and personal with the wildlife. For example, in Africa, I trekked with mountain gorillas and trained cheetahs. In South Africa, I went cage diving with great white sharks. In Thailand, I learned how to milk cobras. In Tanzania, I ran down from the summit of Kilimanjaro. I could go on and on telling stories, but I guess that will be in a book I write later.

In how many African countries have you run marathons so far? 

I have run official marathons in 34 different African countries.

What is your motivation to run the Congo River Marathon in Kinshasa? 

I’m trying to run an official marathon in every African country.

How does your training routine physically and mentally look like? How do you prepare for running a marathon in a new country? 

For me, the hardest part of running international marathons is the travel aspects. It can be difficult to get a visa to some countries. The jet lag, the food, and the sleeping accommodations can be challenging. I just tell myself a 42K marathon is simply a fun run. I have done several multi day stage races of 150 miles or more. These events require you to carry everything you need to survive for a week while covering the distance. This reality has made me very mentally tough.  Typically the organizers only provide medical, tents, and water. Everything else you have to carry in a backpack as you traverse difficult and challenging terrain. 

A memorable running experience that you would like to share with us? 

The 250 km Gobi March was a very memorable experience. The daytime temperatures ranged from 120 to 130+ degrees Fahrenheit. The organizers had to set up addItional water points because it was so hot. My wife was on the medical team and during the long 50 mile stage one of the competitors collapsed. Sue had to administer an IV to keep the guy alive. We get a Christmas card from him every year. During the day, the only thing moving in the desert were foolish runners and organizers in vehicles. One of the riders thought he was being stalked by a camel spider. However, the spider was just using him as a mobile shade station until it cooled off, and the sun went down. On some occasions, we would have to chase the camel spiders out of our tents.  The only creature hazards I really feared were the possibility of wild dogs and scorpions. There were sand vipers, but I’m not afraid of snakes.

One funny story occurred when I was running a stage race in Egypt. We had a military escort and the first 30K stage ended at the only known site with fossilized remains of a legged whale. The soldiers had killed a sand viper and cooked it for dinner. I have eaten different kinds of snakes, but was not going to risk getting sick on the first stage of the race. Because it was so hot I chose not to sleep in the tent, but out under the stars where it was so degrees cooler. Some of my tent mates came out and asked me if I wasn’t worried about the snakes. Being a smart Alec, I answered them by saying yes I am afraid one of the snakes won’t bite me and I’ll have to finish this stupid event. I told them what they should really be worried about was scorpions in their shoes or in their sleeping bag. When I woke up in the morning, I was surrounded by several people in sleeping bags.

Besides running marathons, you were the race organiser of the Wyoming Marathon and have also organised lot’s of running events around the world. What advice do you have for us, still being a young event with our 3rd edition this year? 

Make sure the course is accurate and preferably certified. Make sure the course is marked very well so runners don’t get lost. Make sure there are checkpoints and course marshals because there may be one or two runners that cut the course short in order to make the cut off times. Make sure there is plenty of water and treats at the aid stations. Make sure there is a medical team to help with any emergencies. Require all runners to sign a release and liability waiver. Be sure to educate all the runners on the rules and requirements of the race. Make sure all the volunteers know and understand their jobs. Hope for the best and plan for the worst.