A marathon man on every continent

Many people who know Tom Burch may not realize that he stakes a claim to an unusual milestone. It’s not one he frequently brags about, but once he gets started, the story spills out.

It took a few years to pull off, but the Dunwoody real estate lawyer holds  the distinction of having run a marathon on every continent. Yes, all seven -- from Asia (along the Great Wall of China) to Antarctica, where the track was a cleared path of snow.

The idea of taking part in a race on each giant land mass got started in 2004, when an Australian friend and buddy runner suggested they meet in Berlin for an event. By then, Burch had already raced in North America and Asia.

“That was about the time it occurred to me that I could never climb the seven summits,” said Burch, 64. “That would take too much time and would be very expensive. But running on each continent -- I could do that.”

In March 2007, Burch headed to Antarctica for the most grueling race he’s ever entered. The temperatures were in the 20s, and runners faced howling winds, snow and a course that included a glacier. The path was cut by an ATV carving a space in the snow drifts.

“I wouldn’t say that was running; it was more like trudging,” said Burch. “The ice had softened and my feet got wet. In an hour, I was absolutely miserable. It was the most difficult, physical five hours and 15 minutes I’ve ever spent.”

The southern adventure included sailing on a Russian ice-breaking ship from the port of  Ushuaia in Argentina. On the return trip, Burch signed up for that city’s race, the Fin del Mundo, which started in Patagonia National Park.

“It was kind of a two-fer,” said Burch with a laugh. “But the race in Argentina was much better -- still hard, but just windy.”

In 2008, Burch was in Africa, trekking through the Kilimanjaro marathon. Part of the 10-day trip included climbing the peak.

“I ran it on a Saturday and started the climb the next day,” he said. “I was the oldest person in the group, and some of the others were concerned I’d slow them down. But I kept up, and we all wound up being great buddies.”

A year later, Burch’s Australian friend extended an invitation to join him in the Sydney marathon. The final piece of the seven-continent goal was in place with a race that included crossing the city’s famous harbor bridge.

With his big accomplishment checked off, Burch is ready to take on new challenges. He’s now thinking about riding his bike across the United States, and his son wants him to sign up for a climbing and ski trip across the Alps.