Athlete’s incredible ultra-marathon feat

TODAY, Dave Chamberlain will run his 50th Two Oceans ultra-marathon in 50 consecutive days – and he has no plans to stop now.

Chamberlain is one of 29 000 runners who are ruling the road today in the 50th-anniversary edition of the Two Oceans Marathon.

The difference is that he’s already done the exact 56km route around the peninsula 49 times before in as many days, raising money to save the habitat of African Penguins.

And unlike every other runner nursing aching muscles and an exhausted body, Chamberlain expects to wake up tomorrow with enough enthusiasm to do the same run all over again.

“I’m definitely going to continue running,” he said. “Mentally, I’m in such a good place at the moment. I’m running so well. Why not?”

Fresh from hitting his target of 50 back-to-back ultra-marathons, Chamberlain is already consulting with his sponsors and charity beneficiaries on what mind-boggling challenge to take on next.

“I think regardless of what the long term plan is, I’ll initially continue with the current route,” he said.

Chamberlain has been raising money for BirdLife South Africa’s African Penguin Relocation Project. The project is racing against time to find a new, safe breeding habitat for the penguins, as changing ocean temperatures and depleted sardine stocks are forcing them out of their traditional homes on the West Coast.

Support for the cause has surprised Chamberlain – especially when it came from unexpected places. On one run through Fish Hoek, a group of painters at work had read about his challenge in the newspaper. They waited along his running route with a newspaper clipping of him stuck up on a box, ready to take a selfie when he passed by.

If you want to contribute to Chamberlain’s fundraising, visit 505050.org.

Graphic: Katherine Liu