On Saturday, October 31 I traveled to Washington, DC for a very special record attempt - the fastest marathon wearing a gas mask. Jeremy Soles, a former United States Marine and Operation Enduring Freedom veteran, was attempting to set the record at the annual Marine Corps Marathon in honor of Corporal John Peck of the United States Marine Corps, who was injured while serving in Afghanistan.
Jeremy and his support team were running on behalf of Team X-T.R.E.M.E. (Train, Rehabilitate, Empower, Motivate, Endure), a non-profit organization focused on raising awareness and funding for United States service members wounded while serving their country. In order to bring attention to the cause, Team X-T.R.E.M.E. focuses on attempting difficult physical and mental challenges.
The record attempt certainly fell under that definition. Jeremy ran the entire marathon while wearing an Avon Protection C50 gas mask, completely fitted with the filter on. What makes this such a difficult feat is that the runner’s supply of oxygen is reduced – runners wearing a gas mask have a 20-30% oxygen resistance.
Jeremy took the attempt extremely seriously and did not leave much to chance. He engaged in a strict training regimen that incorporated endurance running both with and without the gas mask as well as free weight training. Per Guinness World Records guidelines the mask could not be removed while running, so Jeremy had to solve the problem of how to eat and drink during the grueling run. He did so by inventing a ‘feeding tube’ from a metal turkey baster that was attached to a small backpack that held various nutritional gels and supplements.
Early in the morning on October 31, I walked with Jeremy and his support team to the starting line, where the runners stretched and limbered up. I witnessed the gas mask being fitted, and held my hand over the filter to ensure that it was properly on. Everything looked to be in good order, and Jeremy and his team were off, with an official start time of 8:08 am.
Now the only thing left to do was wait and see if Jeremy would beat the existing record of 5 hr 4 min 6 sec.
After Jeremy started the race, his team and I headed over to the finish line and welcomed a special guest – Corporal John Peck, in whose honor Jeremy was running the race. Corporal Peck was severely wounded while serving in Afghanistan earlier this year, and is currently rehabilitating in Washington, DC. He was able to attend the end of the event, and it was a pleasure to meet and speak with him.
As Jeremy’s estimated finish time approached, we were all nervously waiting at the finish line (I with my eye on the official race clock) while looking out for the runner in the gas mask. At 4 hr 29 min 3 sec, Jeremy crossed the finish line – a new Guinness World Records achievement.
It was an honor to present the certificate to Jeremy and Corporal Peck after the race, and it was wonderful to be involved in such an exhilarating record. The new world record was a fantastic achievement, although the focus of the day was on the dedication and sacrifice of the United States service members. I was proud that Guinness World Records was able to be a part of such an inspiring event.
Jeremy and his support team were running on behalf of Team X-T.R.E.M.E. (Train, Rehabilitate, Empower, Motivate, Endure), a non-profit organization focused on raising awareness and funding for United States service members wounded while serving their country. In order to bring attention to the cause, Team X-T.R.E.M.E. focuses on attempting difficult physical and mental challenges.
The record attempt certainly fell under that definition. Jeremy ran the entire marathon while wearing an Avon Protection C50 gas mask, completely fitted with the filter on. What makes this such a difficult feat is that the runner’s supply of oxygen is reduced – runners wearing a gas mask have a 20-30% oxygen resistance.
Jeremy took the attempt extremely seriously and did not leave much to chance. He engaged in a strict training regimen that incorporated endurance running both with and without the gas mask as well as free weight training. Per Guinness World Records guidelines the mask could not be removed while running, so Jeremy had to solve the problem of how to eat and drink during the grueling run. He did so by inventing a ‘feeding tube’ from a metal turkey baster that was attached to a small backpack that held various nutritional gels and supplements.
Early in the morning on October 31, I walked with Jeremy and his support team to the starting line, where the runners stretched and limbered up. I witnessed the gas mask being fitted, and held my hand over the filter to ensure that it was properly on. Everything looked to be in good order, and Jeremy and his team were off, with an official start time of 8:08 am.
Now the only thing left to do was wait and see if Jeremy would beat the existing record of 5 hr 4 min 6 sec.
After Jeremy started the race, his team and I headed over to the finish line and welcomed a special guest – Corporal John Peck, in whose honor Jeremy was running the race. Corporal Peck was severely wounded while serving in Afghanistan earlier this year, and is currently rehabilitating in Washington, DC. He was able to attend the end of the event, and it was a pleasure to meet and speak with him.
As Jeremy’s estimated finish time approached, we were all nervously waiting at the finish line (I with my eye on the official race clock) while looking out for the runner in the gas mask. At 4 hr 29 min 3 sec, Jeremy crossed the finish line – a new Guinness World Records achievement.
It was an honor to present the certificate to Jeremy and Corporal Peck after the race, and it was wonderful to be involved in such an exhilarating record. The new world record was a fantastic achievement, although the focus of the day was on the dedication and sacrifice of the United States service members. I was proud that Guinness World Records was able to be a part of such an inspiring event.
