It’s straight back to normal for Arlington ultramarathoner Mike Wardian, 51, after returning home from another lifetime achievement win and another world record—well, his version of normal.
Wardian became the first-ever three-time World Marathon Challenge champion (7 marathons on 7 seven continents in 7 days) on Feb. 6. As if that weren’t enough, he extended each day’s run to a 50k and won all of the World Challenge ultramarathons, too. He set a Guinness World Record in the process, smashing the previous record for that feat by 4 hours and 38 minutes. (Note: he also holds Guinness World Records for the fastest marathon while pushing a jogging stroller, fastest marathon in Antarctica and the fastest marathon while dressed in a superhero costume—Spider Man.)
Not one to put his feet up (though he says he did accidentally take a nap during the first part of the Super Bowl), Wardian is back in training mode.
“I got home at like 2:30 in the morning and then went and worked out with my friends at like, six or seven. So, I slept maybe an hour or two” says Wardian. “So, yeah, I feel like I’m getting back to normal.”
That’s not such a different schedule from the World Marathon, where he averaged 3:48:37 per 50k race—a 7:23 mile pace.
“You basically get off the plane dressed in your kit, and then you’re running within two to three hours. And that’s including going through customs, riding to the place. Sometimes we’d get to the venue, and we’d have 20 or 30 minutes before we’d start running,” says Wardian.
After finishing each day’s marathon and ultramarathon, Wardian had a few hours to recover and wait for the other athletes to finish (since he won every leg) before boarding a plane to the next destination.
The event started in Antarctica Jan. 31, then went to Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Madrid, Spain and Fortaleza, Brazil. It wrapped up in Miami, Florida on Feb. 6.
Wardian ran to raise money for KultureCity, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sensory inclusion for individuals with invisible disabilities such as autism, PTSD and dementia. So far he’s raised $3,000 toward a $10,000 goal. Those interested in contributing can click here.
Up next for Wardian: plenty more running. Plus he says he’ll make time to try a new sport—also in ultra-form, of course. First up, in April, he will run 200-miles in three days, stopping at DMV MedStar hospitals, one of his sponsors, to help raise money for them. Shortly after that he’ll be pacing an autistic athlete at the London Marathon.
Then he will turn his focus to rowing. Though he’s never tried rowing before, Wardian is preparing to row across the Atlantic Ocean. He plans to learn how with the help of the Potomac Boat Club and the Washington Liberty crew team. That will happen in 2027 and will also be a charity fundraiser, though he hasn’t yet decided on the charity.
He says it’s the supporters here in Arlington that keep him fueled on his endeavours around the world.
“I get support from all over the world. But I feel (Arlington’s) might be the loudest and proudest of all the people,” says Wardian. “I feel like we really look out for each other. It’s very loud and very much appreciated.”