Dr. Raj Patel, 50, Indian American dentist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has joined the elite group of people who have done the unimaginable, competing and successfully finishing the Word Marathon Challenge, seven marathons in seven days on seven continents.
Patel finished the seventh and last marathon, in Sydney, Australia and he is back in his Tulsa clinic to see patients. And of course, he put in a simple five-mile run before he saw those patients.
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The World Marathon Challenge was a rewarding but “probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, mentally, emotionally, physically and financially, too,” Patel said. The trip had cost him $50,000. “In hindsight, it’s surreal. And it was an incredible experience. I just want to thank Jesus for allowing me to do it,” he added.
Patel was born in Zambia, Africa, to Indian parents and came to the United States in 1980 for college, enrolling at the University of Tulsa. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma dental school in 1992 and law school in 2001, and has been in dental practice for 26 years.
Patel took to running six years ago, at the age of 44 and became one of the greatest Indian-origin runners of all time. Running became a passion for him, he has been participating in the Boston Marathon. He has run 92 marathons since 2011, including the seven last week.
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The first race was Jan. 23 in Union Glacier, Antarctica. He and the other runners slept in tents and sleeping bags in the days of preparation before the race. On the day of the race, the temperature was -30 degrees, and the wind was more than 30 miles per hour, he said in an interview to Tulsa World. He finished eighth, in 4 hours, 12 minutes.
The runners immediately boarded a plane, flew to Punta Arenas, Chile, rested five hours, and raced again. Then they, including Patel, raced in Miami, Florida; Madrid, Spain; Marrakech, Morocco; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Sydney, Australia. Patel ranked eighth in overall time among the 31 men and women participants.
By Premji
