When Swimmers Put Their Minds To It - The World Marathon Challenge By Kelly-Ann Jenkins

Kelly-Ann Jenkins is a homeowner’s insurance and personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg, Florida.

In her official bio she writes about her hobbies simply and succinctly, "In her free time, Kelly-Ann enjoys traveling, running, and triathlons."

That may be one of the most understated and modest descriptions of an extreme athlete that we have ever read.

Jenkins grew up and went to law school in Florida, interning on the Sixth Judicial Circuit, the Fifth District Court of Appeals, and the State Attorney’s Office in Clearwater. Upon graduation, she joined a large firm in Tampa, where she litigated, deposed witnesses, and tried. Today, she works with her husband at Jenkins Law P.L. in St. Petersburg.

Although she grew up as a competitive swimmer, Jenkins ran her first marathon in law school. She swore, "I will never do that again."

She moved on compete in several half Ironmans and one full Ironman Triathlon. She again swore, "I will never do that again."

But she eventually returned to running. In 2021, she started the MS Happens Foundation in honor of her sister Christine who lives with multiple sclerosis. The MS Happens Foundation provides financial support to MS patients and their families. Jenkins combined her renewed love of running with raising money for the Foundation.

In February, she took on the World Marathon Challenge which requires a runner to complete 7 marathon runs on 7 continents in 7 days. Starting on January 31st, she started the Challenge in Novolazarevskaya, Antarctica where she ran a 5 hour 29 minute marathon on the icy aircraft runway. She summed up her strategy on her Instagram page, "The winds were so brutal out there, we worked as a team when possible- taking turns leading and drafting to minimize he hurt. This significantly reduced our effort level and helped keep our HRs in check. Thanks Justin and BJ for the teamwork!"

The competitors next flew to Cape Town, South Africa where Jenkins ran a 4 hour 21 minute marathon near Table Mountain. She wrote on Instagram, "After an extremely hard day in Antarctica and knowing we were running midday in the South African summer sun, I planned to run today at my easy/recovery pace. The course was 6 loops around the Sea Point area of Cape Town. I took advantage of the aid station every lap - loading up on sunscreen, vasoline, salt, and water. It worked, and I felt great the entire race - finishing in 4:21.04. I’m feeling really good heading into marathon #3 in Perth!"

Before she flew from South Africa to Australia, she gave an update, "Today turned into an unexpected rest day due to a flight delay. We are now scheduled to leave for Perth tonight! Our time at each location has been shortened, and at least one route has been modified to cut down on transfer times to and from the airport. We are now running 5 marathons in 4 days to get this done in the 168 hour (7 day) goal. @ahmet.h.uysal suggested we hop on the luggage belt at the airport and get a marathon in that we. We’re all here for that! We will still finish in Miami on Monday, February 6 - though we will be running later in the day, and we have until just after midnight to complete the last marathon. It’s a long flight to Australia. Enjoy these official race photos from Cape Town while you wait for the next race update."

Next in Perth, Australia, Jenkins ran a 4 hour 14 minute marathon. Then off to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. She wrote, "Marathon #4 is in the books. The stomach bug that’s been going around the group hit me again. Goal was slow and steady, hold down any nutrition and electrolytes possible, and just get it done before we run the last 3 marathons in 2 days. My mindset wasn’t the best today, but I got it done. 4:23. Let’s go!"

With the flight delay and change in the schedule, the competitors flew to Madrid and ran in Torrelaguna, Spain. Jenkins reported on her 4 hour 10 minute run, "What a whirlwind! The schedule change and delays have us short on time, so race organizers are pulling all the strings. We’re in Madrid. Bags are checked in to Miami. The organizers have our passports to check us into our flight while we’re running, and rumor has it, we have a police escort to and from the race site in Fortaleza to bypass traffic.

Today, we ran in the beautiful town of Torrelaguna. The town accommodated our last minute change and agreed to host us. They were incredible! We had people cheering us on and pacing us. Oh, and we were chased by a rogue bull. It was a hilly 33 loop (yes, 33 loop) course, but the weather was gorgeous. My stomach issues seemed to be mostly resolved, and I ran my quickest marathon of the challenge - coming in at 4:10. Up next: Fortaleza, Brazil. We’re expecting hot, humid conditions - with a dew point in the upper 70s. The goal is to take it SUPER easy and get to Miami feeling strong."

After her 4 hour 44 minute marathon in a very warm Fortaleza, Brazil, Jenkins wrote, "Marathon #6 in the books! This pretty much sums up Brazil. See you in Miami tonight!"

In Miami, Jenkins reported her 4 hour 29 minute run and World Marathon Challenge accomplishment, "One week ago, I started a marathon in Antarctica, with the goal of completing a marathon on each continent within 7 days. This has been on my bucket list for 6 years, and I’ve been training for over 2 years all while raising money for @mshappensfoundation. And, it’s done!! Race recap to follow. Big shoutout to my North America sponsor @kam_roofing."

Her average marathon run time over the 7-day period was 4 hours 33 minutes, varying between 4 hours 10 minutes and 4 hours 44 minutes. Her consistency had all the precision of a dedicated competitive swimmer.

After her achievement sunk in a bit more, she wrote, "What a week! Visiting all 7 continents in 1 week is a lot. Throw in a marathon on each continent within 1 week, and it becomes a challenge I cannot pass up!

7 continents
7 marathons
7 days
183.4 miles run (295 km)
52 hours 35 minutes flying time

We ran at all hours of the day and night. We ran in 100°F temperature differences. We ran through a stomach bug that kept circulating through the group. We ate whatever we could find, whenever we could find it. We slept on the floor of the airplane, on the floor at airport, on the floor at the race sites. We faced ridiculous logistical issues. We laughed. We cried. We laughed some more. We raised A LOT of money for charity. We cheered for each other. We supported each other. We shared all aspects of our lives with each over the past week. We walked into this as strangers and left as friends. We became family."

For the love of extreme sports and for the love of her sister Christine.