Australian man says he completed marathon in his flat during confinement
Sydney, Australia, Mar 30 (efe-epa).- Running through a circuit inside his apartment, an Australian man said he completed a marathon with the aim of encouraging people in self-isolation over the coronavirus pandemic to remain active.
Triathlon coach Tim Franklin, 36, said he completed the race in his Brisbane apartment in six hours, 46 minutes, and five seconds, according to data from the electronic device he used to record the Saturday feat.
“I felt like I was taking really small steps the whole time, just to get around my couch, mainly,” Franklin said in a telephone interview with EFE, in which he spoke about the feat, adding that he drank some water and only stopped briefly to go to the bathroom.
Franklin laid out a 21-meter track around his flat and marked every 10 laps completed until he reached 2,000 rounds, with a friend as a witness to his race.
The coach posted videos on social media during the race, one after he had already completed a 1,000 laps, commenting that his neighbor had cooked a spectacular curry.
At the end of the feat he said everything hurt, but added that it was fun to end a challenge, which he laid out for others to follow.
Franklin said the race was harder than he had imagined it and told EFE that the biggest challenge he faced was mental.
The 36-year-old, who as a result of the Australian government’s measures to limit meetings to a maximum of two people has suffered the loss of clients, said that by running the marathon in his apartment he wanted to demonstrate he was remaining positive. He added that he wanted to inspire athletes to keep working hard even in these difficult circumstances.
“I think I wanted people to move especially in these difficult times when people are having a hard time financially or emotionally, I wanted them to know that any kind of movement is of great benefit,” he said.
Once countries have overcome the global crisis caused by the new coronavirus, the Australian has set a new goal: to be the fastest person to complete a 26,000-kilometer race around the world. He said he hopes to start the plan in June 2021 and complete the race in less than 450 days. EFE-EPA
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