Seven marathons on seven continents in seven days

The heat and humidity of Brazil’s upside-down February summer was notable — even for native Texan Cade Baccus.  

With five marathons behind him, Cade would not let the relentless South American heat deter him. The marathon in Fortaleza, Brazil, was the sixth race in this year’s World Marathon Challenge®, a once-in-a-lifetime quest.  

Cade had pledged to conquer seven marathons (26.2 miles each, totaling 183.4 miles) on seven continents over seven consecutive days to raise $75,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.  

For the kids of St. Jude 

Cade is a lot of things — a Methodist preacher, a worship leader, a committed country music performer. At home, he is a loving husband to wife Tara and stay-at-home dad and homeschool teacher to daughters, Maelynn, 16, and Christina Lee, 13. 

In 2016, when Cade decided to return to running marathons, he wanted to run with a purpose. As a couple, Cade and Tara, grateful for their own healthy girls, decided that it should be a children’s charity. He signed up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas and committed to fundraising for St. Jude as part of his race entry. He and Tara had a party that raised $4,500. St. Jude had become their charity, and Cade ran as a St. Jude Hero. St. Jude Heroes® are supporters who participate in some of the world’s greatest running events while raising funds to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude. 

Cade ran in the 2019 St. Jude Memphis Marathon®, which traverses through the St. Jude campus and where patients cheer as the runners go by. 

“There were kids giving us high fives and signs and everything,” Cade said. “I just cried for the next two miles.” 

Tara cries too, every time he tells this story. “The kids are worth saving,” she said. 

When Cade learned about the opportunity to participate in the World Marathon Challenge®, he wasn’t sure how his wife would react.  

Knowing he’d have to raise at least $75,000, he expected Tara to quash the idea, but she was all for it, confident that Cade could do it. “I think I believe in my husband more than he believes in himself,” Tara said. 

It took a year of hard work, but together with his family, Cade raised $75,000 ahead of the challenge. Once he started running, donations poured in, bringing his total to $84,000. 

The Challenge 

To start, Cade and Tara first flew from their home in Texas to Cape Town, South Africa, to meet with the other challenge runners and prepare for the upcoming week. 

Then they flew in an old, noisy cargo plane to Novo, Antarctica, for the first marathon.  

As Cade ran 10 laps around the track, Cade heeded the warnings he’d received about running in the “big ice desert” of Antarctica. 

Don’t take off your goggles because of the blinding sun. 

Don’t take off your gloves. 

Don’t wander off the trail. 

The site for the track was inland, far away from the penguins that live on the coasts and are a huge draw for visitors to the continent.  

“It had an enormous hill on the end, a whole mile-long and a hill on the back half. We ran that mile long hill 10 different times,” Cade said. “My legs were hurting a little more than I would have hoped. I realized also in that marathon how slow I really was.” 

Next, they flew back to Cape Town for the run that would take place there. 

“It was like a 12- or 14-hour turnaround from running the marathon, finishing the marathon in Antarctica to running the marathon in Cape Town,” Cade said. After a nap, the runners ran eight laps around a 5K track on the beach. “It was gorgeous,” Cade said. 

He was sunburned and sore after tackling the hills in Antarctica but he pushed through and earned his second medal. 

After Cape Town, he flew on a charter plane, this time to Perth, Australia, which took about 13 hours. 

Because it was summer, they were expecting sweltering temperatures. Instead, Perth was experiencing a cool spell, and the run took place at night, looping over a flat track. 

Early on, Cade’s right thigh started giving him trouble, but a doctor he’d befriended during the challenge suggested he mix walking with running. 

Starting with Perth, Cade began walking every two minutes. And because Cade wasn’t trying to win, the walking intervals didn’t significantly impact his time. 

“Australia was when I really decided ‘I can finish this. This is going to happen. I’m going to finish this,’” Cade said. 

He calls it his “recovery marathon.” 

Next up was Asia, where running in Dubai was tougher. 

It was another nighttime race at Expo City, built for the 2020 World Expo. The marathon route was another 5K track, only this time with twists and turns that kept him off kilter. 

He finished the run — and was ready to refuel. Hunger was a constant companion on this trip. 

With the restaurants closing in a place known for its rich spices and vibrant cuisine, Tara had asked someone to grab him something to eat. What he got turned out to be an unexpected delight. 

“They were the best chicken nuggets I’ve ever had, and I devoured them,” he said. “I don’t know where they were from. I wish I could find that place. I’d get them shipped from Dubai to Texas. They were so good.” 

Then, the runners were on to Madrid, where they took on a hilly Formula 1 racetrack.  

One Spanish runner, a woman who placed first in several of the races, was something of a local celebrity. A documentary crew followed her every move and her eight children were there to cheer her on. 

“So all of her crowd showed up there. It felt like we had crowd support for the first time,” Cade said. “It was sweet.” 

Next up was Brazil. “I knew this was going to be the toughest marathon because it was so hot and so humid,” Cade said.  

The sun hadn’t risen and it was already sweltering. Plus, since he’d trained during the Texas winter, he wasn’t acclimated to running in the damp heat. 

But Tara, who was also a runner, believed in Cade. She knew he could finish the race. She ran the last 10K with him. 

Victory lap 

Throughout the global challenge, Cade stayed connected with fellow runners through a group chat, including the runner who’d helped develop his training plan. 

When his spirits dipped, they pumped him up. When he doubted he couldn’t finish, they told him he could. 

He posted on social media during every race, documenting his progress. 

After Brazil, the final flight took them to Florida in North America for the seventh and final race. Cade already had six medals, one from each race. 

Miami felt like a victory lap — and his girls were there waiting for him. 

The run started at 1 a.m. on the beach. He was fueled by excitement, pride and the promise of seeing his family. “I ran that one faster than I had run any of them.”