Clayton Mom To Run 7 Marathons On 7 Continents In 7 Days

CLAYTON – A Clayton mother is preparing to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days, using the endurance challenge to raise money for children awaiting foster care placement.

Jill Homan will participate in the Great World Race from Nov. 15-21, covering 183.4 marathon miles while traveling from Antarctica to North America.

All money raised through Homan’s campaign will benefit Isaiah 117 House, a nonprofit organization that provides temporary care for children who have been removed from their homes and are waiting for foster care placement.

“The whole point of doing something this audacious is to capture people’s attention and then turn that attention toward Isaiah 117 House,” Homan said. “If seven marathons in seven days on seven continents makes someone stop, look and ask why, then I have an opportunity to introduce them to an organization doing extraordinary work for children.”

Isaiah 117 House provides children with food, clean clothing, a place to rest and other support during the period between removal from a home and placement with a foster family.

“When a child is removed from home, everything familiar can disappear in an instant,” said Randa Gay, location leader for Isaiah 117 House in Johnston County. “Our goal is to make sure that child knows they are not alone and that they are cared for.”

Homan’s schedule begins Nov. 15 with the Wolf’s Fang Marathon in Antarctica.

She is then scheduled to run in Cape Town, South Africa, on Nov. 16; Perth, Australia, on Nov. 17; Singapore on Nov. 18; the Algarve region of Portugal on Nov. 19; Cartagena, Colombia, on Nov. 20; and Miami, Florida, on Nov. 21.

Each race is a full 26.2-mile marathon.

Between races, participants travel from continent to continent, leaving limited time for sleep and recovery while also adjusting to different climates and time zones.

Homan is scheduled to leave the United States Nov. 11.

She has spent months preparing for the challenge with long-distance runs, back-to-back training sessions, strength work and training in extreme heat.

Homan said she plans to provide updates during the week as she travels from the first race in Antarctica to the final marathon in Miami.

Her campaign centers on the message, “7 Marathons. 7 Days. 7 Continents. 1 Mission: Comfort for Children.”

Information about Homan’s training and challenge is available at RunningWithJill.com. More information about Isaiah 117 House is available at Isaiah117House.com.