Middle Tennessee Woman Has Run Marathons On All 7 Continents

Running a marathon takes a lot of work, dedication and training, but it's the determination one Middle Tennessee woman showed when she recently reached an elite milestone that fewer than 1,000 people have ever managed to achieve.

Maria Shircel, of Clarksville, has run more than 200 marathons around the world her recent trip to Antarctica earned her an accomplishment that not many have reached. She has now completed marathons on each of the seven continents, per News Channel 5.

"It feels so good," she said. "If you really dream and you're very focused and you're very determined, you're very disciplined you can get it done."

She began her Seven Continents Club journey in 2016 with marathons in both North and South America, followed by competitions in Europe, Asia and New Zealand in 2018 and a run in Africa the following year. With six continents down, she had one last to conquer, Antarctica, which she completed earlier this month.

"I decided to buy a globe and a map, and I wrote different places I wanted to go, and I just made a plan and I just followed through," she said.

As of Shircel's run, at least 535 men and 272 women have completed marathons on each of the seven continents, the news outlet reports. While Shircel has already completed several marathons around the world, she still has some places left on her bucket list.

"I want to go to Patagonia, to Easter Island," she said. "I want to go to Australia, Vietnam, just all of that all over the world... I want to do that."