Blake Hall
A U.S. Marine accomplished a physical feat few could even dream of, let alone attempt.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Daniel Cartica won the World Marathon Challenge in record time. During this challenge, he and 15 others ran seven marathons on seven continents (even Antarctica) over the course of seven days. Cartica ran for a combined 24 hours, 46 minutes, 56 seconds during the entire event and beat the last record-holder by 49 minutes.
But the best part is that Cartica completed the challenge in order to honor the victims of the Chattanooga shooting.
“It was a pretty cool thing to do,” Cartica said after his victory. “I wasn’t out there to do this for myself. The ultimate reason was for the four Marines and one sailor who were killed.”
Cartica told the Chicago Tribune that though he didn’t know any of the victims of the shooting, he felt compelled to contribute to their memory.
“These five servicemen were normal, conventional service members — any local Joe — who were just doing their jobs,” he said. “Why would a terrorist decide to attack a local recruiting center in Chattanooga? I can’t answer that. But those servicemen were out there giving their all. …
“Less than 1 percent of Americans serve their country. These five were part of that 1 percent, and they did it with great dignity and honor. That is enough to show the character and humility that they carried with them on a daily basis.”
Runners were flown from marathon to marathon over the course of 168 hours and 23,560 miles. Cartica revealed that eating and sleeping during downtime was the biggest challenge. Between the marathons, Cartica estimated that he only got 15 hours of sleep. Despite the physical exhaustion and lack of sleep, this Marine continually affirmed that it wasn’t about him.
“I wasn’t out for any notoriety or media attention,” he said. “It was more so Daniel Cartica, this individual who quietly went about his business trying to show the world that there were five really good guys who sacrificed a lot for their country.”