Marathon men complete sevens feat
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Fiennes, right, and Stroud after the New York marathon finale.
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In New York, British explorers Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr. Mike Stroud finished their seventh marathon in seven days. CNN's Michael Okwu reports (November 3)
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NEW YORK (Reuters) -- British explorers Ranulph Fiennes and Mike Stroud finished their seventh marathon in seven days, a global adventure that began in the wilds of South America and finished in New York's concrete jungle.
Fiennes, 59, and Stroud, 48, crossed the New York marathon finish line in Central Park together in the official time of five hours, 25 minutes and 46 seconds. Fiennes finished 28,362nd and Stroud 28,364th in a field of 35,000 runners.
It was the slowest time for Fiennes in the 42 kilometer (26.2 mile) courses the pair ran, flying from venue to venue. The men ran in the Patagonia region of Chile, the Falkland Islands, Sydney, Singapore, London and Cairo before New York, the only organized marathon of their challenge.
The duo intended to begin their adventure in Antarctica -- to make it seven continents in seven days -- but bad weather forced them to run one of the marathons in the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
"I feel fine. I do not feel tired," Fiennes, who suffered a heart attack about five months ago, told reporters in New York. "The most difficult part was at the end of Singapore. I thought I was a goner. I thought I might not be able to go on."
Back to work
The two men struggled to complete the fourth marathon in the searing heat of Singapore on Thursday.
The New York marathon was won by Kenyan Martin Lel. His compatriot Margaret Okayo won the women's race. Lel clocked two hours, 10 minutes and 30 seconds and Okayo two hours 22 minutes and 31 seconds.
In 1982, Fiennes became one of the first men to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole on his Trans-Globe Expedition. Eleven years later, he and Stroud, a doctor, became the first men to cross the Antarctic unsupported on foot.
Fiennes has survived the torment of gangrene at the North Pole, dodged bullets in the Middle East, trekked across the Andes and canoed up the Amazon.
"Many of our adventures were only enjoyable in retrospect, but I can honestly say this was enjoyable from day to day," Fiennes said.
The pair were not staying in New York to see the sights. Stroud was expected back at work on Tuesday morning and they planned to leave for London on Sunday night.
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Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
