Running the world

Father and son run marathons in all 50 states and 7 continents

Do the math: Multiply 26.2, the length, in miles, of a marathon, by 50, the number of states. That’s 1,310 miles.

Nikolas Toocheck has raced that distance in the past three years.

Amazingly, just this week, on two consecutive days, 14-year-old Toocheck completed another two marathons.

Now at 5 feet, 6 inches and 120 pounds, he and his father, Dan, have run marathons, stride for stride, in each of the 50 United States.

The Patton Middle School eighth grader and his father have also raced on all seven continents.

“I’m experiencing all different kinds of history,” Toocheck said. “Things on the West Coast are different. By seeing the whole country you can see what you want to do for your future.”

While he said Florida would be a nice place to settle, Toocheck especially enjoyed Hawaii.

“There’s all different cultures,” he said about the 50th state, “and all kinds of races. I got to meet a lot of different people.”

He hiked at altitude to become acclimated in Davos, Switzerland but was still thirsty and earned a headache.

Toocheck ran his first marathon at age 9.

He’s even run seven marathons, over seven days, in seven different states.

He might get a little stiff and need to stretch afterwards, but he doesn’t get overly tired after a race.

It takes the duo four to six hours to run 26 miles. Toocheck said he usually wins a medal for the fastest runner in the 18, or 21 and under, age bracket.

He enjoyed racing in Antarctica.

“It’s not every day you’re running and you see penguins on the course,” he said. “It’s very different — no grass or trees. I’ve seen different things around the world.”

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SUBMITTED PHOTO Fourteen-year-old Nikolas Toocheck, left, and his father, Dan, finish their 50th marathon, one in each of the 50 United States, in Springfield, Vt., earlier this week.