CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You can add a Clarksville woman to the shortlist of people who have run a marathon on every continent.
"It feels good," said Maria Shircel. "If you really dream and you're very focused and you're very determined, you're very disciplined you can get it done."
Shircel is an experienced marathon runner. Although she admits she's lost track, she's likely completely more than 200 marathons in dozens of countries. Her recent trek to Antarctica secured her spot in the Seven Continents Club.
"It is just untouched and so clean... it's amazingly beautiful," Shircel said.
Originally from the Phillipines, the runner has no plans to stop seeing the globe 26.2 miles at a time.
"I want to go to Patagonia, to Easter Island. I want to go to Australia, Vietnam, just all of that all over the world... I want to do that," Shircel said.
Shircel's road to the Seven Continents Club started in 2016 with marathons in North and South America. In 2018, she ran a marathon in Europe, Asia and in New Zealand. In 2019, she ran a marathon in Africa. At the beginning of February, she completed her marathon on Earth's southernmost continent.
"I decided to buy a globe and a map, and I wrote different places I wanted to go, and I just made a plan and I just followed through," she said.
To date, at least 535 men and 272 women have completed a marathon on all seven continents.
