Man who ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days now training to break a record at the North Pole

SAN ANTONIO – From a life of no running at all to completing seven marathons on seven continents in under seven days, Paul Holborn is on a new mission to break a world record at the North Pole.

In February, Holborn took home the top men’s title in the grueling World Marathon Challenge. This race pushes athletes to their limits as they race through cities such as Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Madrid, Spain; Fortaleza, Brazil; Miami, USA; and even Antarctica — all within a single week.

“Madrid, Dubai, and then when we finished off in Miami. And that’s me there,” he said, looking back at photos of his whirlwind journey.

Now, the San Antonio-based runner has his sights set on something even more extreme — breaking a Guinness World Record by running the fastest marathon at the North Pole.

The current record to beat is over three hours, a blistering pace for any marathon, let alone one run entirely on snow and in sub-zero temperatures.

“The record right now stands at 3 hours and 14 minutes, which was achieved last year, and I think I can break it,” said Holborn. “You know, it’s going to be difficult. I know on the flat I can make it, no problem, but this is in different conditions. Like I said, it’s cold, it’s windy, you’re running on snow.”

While most people train in conditions similar to their goal race, Holborn is running in the Texas heat until he boards a ship bound for the Arctic.

“On the way up there, the first seven days, I’ll run on the ship on the outside and try to climatize before the race starts,” he said.

The race is scheduled for July 14, and Holborn departs next week — first to Paris on July 5, then on to Norway, where he will sail north toward the icy starting line.

Holborn is a former professional boxer. He stopped exercising altogether for 13 years before returning to fitness at the age of 40. His transformation has become a source of motivation for people around the globe.

“There’s a guy called Tommy from Australia. He contacted me, him and his mother,” Holborn said. “At first, I was really surprised, you know, that they knew everything about the race, that they’d followed everything.”

It’s these kinds of stories that drive him.

“Some days when you don’t want to run, or you don’t want to race, you’ve got to race for something more than yourself,” Holborn said. “To know that there’s people there watching and you’re making a difference in their life — it’s something that can really inspire you to get up and just keep going.”

KSAT asked Holborn what advice he’d give to others looking to restart their fitness journey. He said, “Get out there, start with a few miles. It doesn’t have to be running, either. It could be bicycling. It could be walking, could be anything you want it to be. Just pick a challenge, and it’ll give you something to get up for, something to focus on, and, you know, it can only make your life happier.”

As the countdown to race day begins, Holborn continues to inspire with every step on snow, pavement, or the deck of a ship en route to the top of the world.

You can follow Paul’s journey on Instagram.

ALSO ON KSAT.COM

San Antonio resident wins World Marathon Challenge