Many to gain from Pete’s days of pain
PETER Wheatley to complete 31 marathons in 31 days for a good cause.
PETER Wheatley has offered up his body as a human guinea pig for science and as a champion for a good cause.
The endurance athlete has run nine marathons over the past nine days — and will continue running a marathon a day for the next 22 days.
That’s 31 consecutive marathons, a total distance of more than 1300km and about 200 hours of running.
The Hobart runner started the challenge as a fundraiser to improve water quality for villages in Ethiopia and then decided to offer scientists access to his body.
Researchers are testing the effects of strenuous exercise on health, to see whether too much exercise can be harmful.
They are examining the impact of ultra-endurance exercise on heart, hormones, sleep patterns, gut health, physical performance and moods.
After more than a week of marathons, Mr Wheatley said he had only a couple of blisters and tired legs.
“I’m feeling really happy,” he said.
“And so far I’ve had every sort of weather except sunshine.”
But researchers from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research and the University of Tasmania’s Sport Performance Optimisation Research Team are delving deeper, with a gamut of daily measures and more probing weekly tests.
Health scientist Cecilia Kitic said some studies had shown that ultra-endurance exercise could lead to structural changes to the heart, hormonal imbalance, disturbed sleep and mood changes.
Mr Wheatley, who is president of Triathlon Tasmania, is known for his long list of ultra-marathon achievements — even though he did not start exercising until the age of 48.
This month he turned 60, which he said was another reason to celebrate with a month of marathons.
He is tackling a different course each day, depending on the wind and his energy levels.
Yesterday, he ran the weekly Hobart parkrun at Risdon Brook Park and then across the Tasman Bridge to Blackmans Bay, where friends were holding a garage sale to help his fundraising.
During the month of marathons he will also complete the Melbourne Marathon and two marathons on the Gold Coast. He will finish by running the Point to Pinnacle (up and down Mt Wellington) on November 13.
Mr Wheatley said his top priority was to raise money for Water for a Village, a charitable organisation headed by his wife, Catherine Wheatley.
The charity raises money to improve the water supply in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia by installing wells in villages that provide clean water.
The charity has installed six wells in the past two years, at a cost of about $4000 a well.
“This has provided 7000 people with clean water, the people are so appreciative,” Mrs Wheatley said.
Donations may be made via pointtopinnacle2016.everydayhero.com/au
Originally published as Many to gain from Pete’s days of pain
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