‘Marathon Man’ flies in for Laguna Phuket run

PHUKET: Confirmed to take part in the Laguna Phuket International Marathon on Sunday is Australia’s renowned “Marathon Man” Trent Morrow, the Phuket Gazette has learned.

Due to arrive on the island today, marathon and ultra-marathon runner Morrow has successfully completed 49 marathons and nine ultra-marathons since 2008 and is the only person to successfully complete a marathon in all states and territories in Australia and on both islands in New Zealand in 2011.

He has also completed the 256-kilometer Marathon des Sables through the Sahara Desert in 2008, the 90km Comrades Marathon in South Africa in 2010 and the 250km Sahara Race in 2011.

“We are delighted to have Trent come to Phuket to run his 50th marathon. Many amazing characters come from around the world to take part in the marathon and they add to the fun atmosphere that surrounds the event,” Robin Wilson told the Gazette this morning.

Morrow seems keen to get here. Before heading off from Australia, he posted on his Facebook page, “Looking forward to running marathon number 50 in Phuket this Sunday. Watch out Thailand the ‘Marathon Man’ is heading your way :-)”

Running was not always his pursuit, but after an personal epiphany he took up the challenge and ran his first half-marathon in his hometown Sydney in 2007. Since then he has run a marathon a month and has helped to raise funds for many charities.

“There is no greater pursuit than the marathon and the journey to conquer the distance is a personal triumph for all to be proud of. The power of the mind cannot be underestimated in competing over the marathon and ultra marathon distances as all the training in the world can sometimes not make up for strength of character.

“It would be awesome if just a fraction of those people I meet, who mention thinking about a running marathon, would take up the challenge as I know they would do it well and it would change the way they look at the world. It is not so much about racing against the clock as the numbers are simply a way to measure ourselves over the distance. It is more about the significance of achieving completion of the journey,” he says.

As for running in Phuket, he says, “This latest challenge represents a significant milestone as it will be the 50th marathon since since 2008. There could not be a more magic place in the world to celebrate the achievement. I’m looking forward to sharing the latest from paradise in Thailand.”

For more information about the Marathon Man, visit his website MarathonMan.com.au

For more information about the Laguna Phuket International Marathon, click here.