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Marathon runner to run entire 2018 Tour de France route

Peter Thompson will try to match Zoe Romano's 2013 feat

February 16, 2018
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English marathon runner Peter Thompson, who last completed 44 marathons in 44 days across 44 countries, has announced that he will run the entire route of the 2018 Tour de France starting on May 19. A feat of this kind was first accomplished in 2013 by American ultra-marathoner Zoe Romano. Thompson points out that it will be the equivalent of running up Mount Everest thrice.

Thompson will face a similar itinerary to Romano’s: lighting out seven weeks before the riders, he’ll trot 48-km a day for a total of 3,329-km and 28,000-metres of climbing, hoping to reach the Champs Elysees before the riders do on July 29. His goal is completing the course in 70-days.

Thompson will be attempting the formidable accomplishment to raise money for mental health charity Mind and Liveability.

On his website Marathons for the Mind, Thompson says, “I have many friends, family and ex partners that suffer and still do suffer with serious mental health issues. Some have tried to take their own lives and others battle through on mixtures of medication and levels of determination and courage that I admire greatly. We all have mental health in the same way we have physical health and there will many levels within that. By talking we help ourselves, we help others, we help educate and we help to end the stigma that still exists.”

In 2013 Romano pounded out the 3403-km of the 100th edition while pushing her gear in a running stroller. Instead of tackling the route from beginning to end, she started in Nice where Stage 4 began and then headed to Corsica to run the first three stages. It took her 79-days. Romano’s charity was the World Pediatric Project.