Hebel to run 500 marathons

CARL Hebel plans to run 500 marathons in 500 days.

HE is Gympie’s own version of Forest Gump, but by the time ultra marathon runner Carl Hebel has finished his world record attempt, Gump’s run across America will look like just a walk in the park.

Hebel plans to run 500 marathons in 500 days across 27 countries.

In the process he hopes to break a 20,000km ultra marathon running record.

The 70-year-old and his dog Dena McDingo, a cross between a King Charles spaniel and terrier with a touch of dingo, are putting the finishing touches on a gruelling training regime.

The pair head to Athens in Greece for the first stage of the record attempt, a run in the marathon from Marathon to Athens on October 31.

Marathon is the birth place of the modern marathon and Hebel will run dressed in an ancient Greek soldier’s uniform to pay tribute to first person to run the marathon, the Greek soldier Pheidippidas.

“I will land in Athens and then run to Marathon for the marathon, and then the next day we will run from Marathon to Athens,” Hebel said.

Hebel’s best mate and running partner Dena McDingo will make the journey to Athens with Hebel to run in the event, but will not run the rest of the 500 marathons because of hold-ups in customs.

“She was born to run,” Hebel said.

“She is fast and drags me along.”

“She is costing more to take to Athens than me,” he said.

After the Athens marathon Hebel will fly to Dubai, run a marathon (40kms), then jump on a plane to Australia.

The runner will then embark on a 2000km run from Brisbane to Sydney, Canberra and then Melbourne – a trip that should take 40 days.

“It’s just an easy run,” according to Hebel.

“Pretty basic,” he said.

From there Hebel will run marathons in Vietnam, Taiwan, China, North and South Korea, Japan, Canada, USA (if possible), Cuba, Ecuador, Peru, Chilli, Argentina, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya.

If Hebel gets this far he would have broken the world record, but he intends to keep going if he is feeling well enough.

The next stage would include England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Belarus and finish in Moscow.

Hebel admits most people would think his actions pretty crazy, but to compete in the World Masters Games in Sydney last year Hebel didn’t catch a plane like most people, he ran there.

Hebel is set to run in the Pomona King of the mountain this weekend, has a 125km run from Gympie to Caboolture pencilled in for August 21 and plans another 1000km practise run before setting off on the record attempt.