World's Fastest Marathoner (With a Stroller)

Michael Wardian is what you'd call a mega-marathoner, running an average of 50 grueling races a year, ranging from the typical 26.2-miler to a 150-mile ultra-marathon in the desert. Though he's won the JFK 50-miler, and the Washington, D.C. marathon three times and holds the world record for fastest marathon on a treadmill. On November 22, he'll be competing for a title he regards as especially important -- world's fastest marathon with a jogging stroller.

Wardian, 35, currently holds the record. He achieved it in 2007 at the Frederick Marathon in Maryland with his then nine-month-old son Pierce in tow, at a time of 2:42:21. But now, with the addition of Wardian's second son -- 11-month-old Grant (pictured with his dad) -- the marathoner thought it was only fair to go after the record again. "We didn't want it to be something one child had and not the other," he said.


Wardian had his eye on the record long before he was a father. He first got the idea at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2004, when he saw Michal Kapral setting the record. "I saw his time and I thought if I ever had a kid, I could beat that. When we had our son, my wife said, 'Hey, weren't you going to go after that record?' So I started training for it and broke the record."

But there's another man vying for the title at Tulsa's Route 66 Marathon: Elite runner Zac Freudenburg, winner of the 2009 St. Louis Marathon in April and third place finisher at the Pikes Peak Marathon. He's looking to shatter Wardian's record with his 10 month-old-son Liam. "[Freudenburg] found out about the record from me when his wife was pregnant and we were running the Mt. Washington Road Race," Wardian said. "I told him about how I set the record and he's been training ever since. It should be a good showdown."

Keeping yourself energized and hydrated for 26.2 miles is strenuous enough, but doing that while pushing a stroller poses a whole other set of obstacles. "The most challenging thing about running with a stroller is not moving your arms. It's also tricky going around corners and you also have to watch out for uneven surfaces. There are a lot of things going on, but that's part of the experience."

Of course, Wardian won't be attempting this feat with your average stroller, but the BOB Ironman stroller -- a lightweight model designed specifically for serious athletes. But even with specialized gear to help maneuver the course, the other challenge becomes how you keep a baby entertained for nearly three hours or tend to their needs while trying to set a world record.

Baby Grant will be fed before the race starts and Wardian will be armed with a sippy cup and Cheerios. "Hopefully, he'll just sleep," said Wardian. "When he wakes up, it gets dicey. But it's usually kind of exciting for him because the road is going by pretty quick so he just hangs out and watches," he said. "If I have to stop, I'll stop," he added. "My first priority is keeping him happy and safe and regardless of the record, it'll be fun."

With so many titles under his belt (Wardian recently finished third in the 50K World Championships in October and is the reigning 100K and 50K National Champion), I wondered why going after the world record so important to him? "Setting a world record is always cool," he said. "And the experience of getting to do something like that with my kids is unparalleled."