The planet has a new world record for running a marathon while pushing a wheelchair!
Eric Domingo Roldán of Barcelona, Spain, first attempted to run a 26.2-mile race while pushing his mother Silvia back in 2020. When they missed the mark by just 1 minute and 21 seconds, Eric vowed to return in 2021 to claim the title.
True to his word, Eric and Silvia have done just that! On November 7, Eric and Silvia crossed the finish line of the Zurich Barcelona Marathon in 2 hours, 53 minutes, and 28 seconds. The former record was 2:58:40, so they pulled off their victory with time to spare!
Eric has a very special reason for setting such a lofty goal; he runs to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis, the neurodegenerative disease his mother has dealt with for more than 17 years.
“I thought it would be a good challenge for both me and my mum, because she’s been facing challenges since she was a child, and I thought she would love it,” Eric explained.
Eric managed to raise 3,476€ (just under $4,000) in his fundraiser before the marathon. All of the proceeds were donated to a charity to fund MS research and advancement.
The devoted son said achieving the world record means even more to them this year because, in addition to her MS, his mother is still recovering from a battle with COVID-19 back in August.
“This year (2021) was special,” he wrote. “My mom had covid19 in August and she was about to die. But thanks to her strength and her mentality, she recovered. Her motivation was to cross another finish line, to do another marathon, at home, with her friends, with her people, making history.”
While she did have some pre-race jitters, Silvia was all smiles in her wheelchair as Eric ran the race. She loved the feeling of the wind in her hair as her son propelled them both toward the finish line.
“It fills me with life, and gives me peace being able to see the landscapes. And above all, it gives me an incredible freedom,” Silvia said.
“It was a dream come true,” Eric added. “I was constantly looking at my watch to check if we were on time, and the last 195m were the best seconds of my life. When we crossed the line I just wanted to hug Mum and tell her that we did it, for her and for multiple sclerosis. To cross that line meant that we did what we promised after going through the hardest time of our lives.”
Eric and Silvia said hearing their fellow runners cheer them on spurred them to victory! Nothing can stop this mother-son team. We are so excited to see them in the next edition of “Guinness World Records.”
Share this story to congratulate Eric and Silvia on their epic accomplishment.
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