Seven Marathons. Seven Continents. One Week.
The race that rewrites what's possible—one brutal, beautiful step at a time.
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The Race
The Most Grueling Endurance Event on the Planet
Seven marathons. Seven continents. One Week. The Great World Race is not a bucket-list fantasy, it's a 183-mile gauntlet that spans the entire globe, pushing human endurance to its outermost edges. Competitors race through the icy winds of Antarctica, the sun-scorched roads of South Africa, the high-altitude passes of Asia, the buzzing streets of Colombia, and beyond—with barely enough time to sleep, recover, or catch their breath before the next starting gun fires.
Each continent brings its own climate, terrain, and psychological crucible. Jet lag becomes a competitor. Sleep deprivation is a constant companion. And yet, thousands of miles and a handful of days after it all begins, runners cross a final finish line having done something most humans can scarcely imagine.
The Numbers
7
Marathons run back-to-back
7
Continents crossed
1
Week to finish it all
183
Total miles of racing
60
Participants
55
Finishers
"Limits are mostly just suggestions that talk too loudly."
—Ellen Hunter Gans
The Journey
Seven Continents, Seven Stories
Each leg of the Great World Race is a world unto itself: a new landscape, a new culture, and a new test of what the human body and spirit can withstand.
Antarctica
Icy winds, sub-zero temperatures, and a landscape that feels like the edge of the world. The race begins where few humans have ever run.
Africa
Sun-scorched roads stretch through the heart of Cape Town, South Africa, where heat and humidity test every runner's resolve.
Australia
Red earth and eucalyptus skies, the Australian leg strips everything back to raw endurance, running, and the relentless forward push.
Europe
Ancient cities and cobblestone streets provide the backdrop for a marathon that measures centuries of human history beneath every footfall.
Asia
From high-altitude climbs to dense city grids, Asia demands adaptability and delivers some of the race's most unforgettable scenery.
South America
The vibrant, bustling streets of Colombia pulse with energy and color—a sharp, exhilarating contrast to the frozen silence of the opening leg.
North America
The journey ends in Miami, Florida where the racers know the finish line is just the beginning of their amazing journey.
Inside the Book
What's Inside
Seven Marathons. Seven Continents. One Week. is more than a race chronicle, it's a front-row seat to some of the most extraordinary acts of human will you'll ever read. Author and competitor Ellen Hunter Gans weaves her own remarkable story alongside those of her fellow runners, creating a tapestry of grit, humor, heartbreak, and triumph that spans the globe.
Each chapter drops you onto a new continent with the mud still fresh and the finish line uncertain. You'll feel the cold bite of Antarctic air, taste the dust of African roads, and share in the laughter and tears that emerge when ordinary people attempt the extraordinary. This is endurance writing at its most vivid and immediate.
Estimated release: Summer 2026
First-Person Immersion
Race alongside Ellen and fellow competitors through visceral, chapter-by-chapter accounts of every continent.
A Cast of Unforgettable Runners
Meet athletes driven by personal redemption, global advocacy, and the simple, stubborn refusal to quit.
Science of Survival
Understand what the body and mind go through when pushed to their absolute limit, day after brutal day.
A Story of Historic Firsts
Ellen's completion as the first woman with EDS to finish the race makes this a landmark achievement in endurance sports history.
Photos from Mark Conlon
Why It's Special
A Story That Rewrites the Rules of Possibility
Most endurance memoirs celebrate physical peak performance. Seven Marathons. Seven Continents. One Week. does something far rarer. It celebrates resilience in the face of a body that was never supposed to run at all.
Defying a Diagnosis
Ellen lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic connective tissue disorder that is, by most medical standards, wholly incompatible with running. She ran anyway.
Racing Through Pain
Four of the seven marathons were run on what Ellen believed was a torn ligament, later revealed to be a venomous spider bite. She didn't stop. Not once.
Making History
Ellen became the first woman with EDS ever to complete the Great World Race, a milestone that carries enormous meaning for the chronic illness and disability communities worldwide.
About the Author
Meet Ellen Hunter Gans
Ellen Hunter Gans is an Ironman triathlete, ultramarathon champion, and 40-time marathon finisher. She completed seven marathons on seven continents in one week, four of them on a leg she thought was injured, which turned out to be a venomous spider bite. That's just who she is.
The Twin Cities-based freelance writer has spent more than 15 years helping major brands craft their most compelling narratives. She holds advanced degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Southern California and brings that same intellectual rigor to everything she writes.
Ellen lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder, and has built a life and athletic career that her diagnosis said couldn't exist. She writes and runs to prove—to herself and to others—that the body's limits and the spirit's limits are rarely the same thing.
40-Time Marathon Finisher
Including 7 on 7 continents in 1 week
Advanced Degrees
London School of Economics & USC
15+ Years as a Storyteller
Helping major brands find and share their voice
Coming Soon
More From Ellen — Stay in the Loop
The story doesn't end at the finish line. Ellen is working on additional content, live appearances, and exclusive behind-the-scenes material for readers who want to go deeper into the world of the Great World Race. Be the first to know when new content drops and when Ellen is coming to a city near you.
📚 Book Announcements
Release dates, pre-order links, launch events, and exclusive early-access content for subscribers.
🎤 Live Appearances
Book tours, speaking engagements, endurance events, and podcast appearances. Find out where Ellen will be next.
🎥 Behind the Scenes
Race footage, training dispatches, and personal essays from the road—stories that didn't make it into the book. Yet.
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Follow the Journey
Ellen shares training stories, race dispatches, and reflections on running with EDS across her social channels. She writes the way she runs—honestly, with a lot of heart, and occasionally through things that probably should have stopped her.
Author Newsletter: First access to excerpts and events
Speaking Engagements: Endurance, resilience, and storytelling
Media & Press: Interview requests and review copies welcome