A Marathon a Day: The Fastest Woman to Run Around the World | #130

What if you could transform your life from a pack-a-day smoker who gets winded after 500 meters to a world-record athlete? In this episode, we talk to Marie Leautey, the fastest woman to run around the world, who did exactly that. She reveals the incredible story of how an ordinary financial director with no athletic background ran the equivalent of a marathon every single day for 825 days, covering 28,249 kilometers across four continents. How is it possible to endure such a feat without a single running injury, especially when facing a global pandemic, financial strain, and unbelievable logistical challenges?

Marie Leautey shares the unfiltered story behind her book, "Lootie's World Run." We explore the official World Runners Association rules that guided her journey, including the requirement to cross a minimum of four continents and pass through two antipodal points. A huge part of her success was figuring out how to avoid running injuries, a problem that sidelines up to 70% of typical marathon trainees. Marie explains her unique "body scan" technique, a mental checklist she performed daily to listen to her body's signals, rejecting the "no pain, no gain" mentality. This strategy was crucial for running a marathon every day without issue.

The conversation takes a dramatic turn as Marie recounts the moment her journey was halted by the global pandemic. We learn about her experience running during COVID lockdown, where she was forced to pause in Italy, only to find a creative and meaningful way to continue her training: by delivering meals to the homeless on the streets of Paris while pushing her 30kg stroller. Marie also shares unbelievable stories from the road - from a stroller company that rejected her sponsorship request with a legal letter, to a heartbreaking encounter with a grieving mother in North Dakota, a bizarre run-in with a drunken raccoon in Pennsylvania, and a costly mistake involving an onion that led to a $2,600 fine in Australia. This is a profound story about resilience, minimalism, and discovering that the journey, not the destination, is the ultimate reward.

About Our Guest:
Marie Leautey is the author of "Lootie's World Run" and the world-record holder as the fastest woman to have run around the world. In a remarkable transformation, she went from being a chain-smoking financial director to an elite endurance athlete, completing her global circumnavigation on foot in 825 days. Her story is a powerful testament to human potential and the power of redefining one's limits.

Timestamps / Chapters:
(0:00) From Chain-Smoker to World Record Holder
(5:20) The Official Rules for Running Around the World
(8:47) How Marie Avoided Injury While Running a Marathon a Day
(12:08) An Unstoppable Run Meets a Global Pandemic
(17:22) The 30kg Companion: Pushing a Stroller & Embracing Minimalism
(20:26) A Sponsorship Story: The Stroller Company That Said No
(23:27) Finding an Inner Pace: The Psychology of Running Without a Watch
(33:09) From Solo Runner to a Team of Two
(36:32) From a Grieving Mother to a Drunken Raccoon: Stories from the Road
(45:26) The Ithaca Philosophy: Why the Journey Is the True Reward

Learn More From Our Guest / Episode Resources:
Get Marie's book, "Lootie's World Run"