An athlete whose marathon was cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic ran it on his balcony instead.
Elisha Nochomovitz ran 26.2 miles on his 23-foot long balcony in Balma, France. The 32-year-old completed the marathon in 6 hours and 48 minutes, which is nearly double his personal best for the marathon.
Elisha dedicated his run to the medical staff working through the pandemic, who he feels are “doing an extraordinary job.”
He also wanted to lighten the mood as France is on a nationwide lock-down to halt the spread of the disease. Elisha explained: “It was about launching a bit of a crazy challenge and bringing a bit of humor, to de-dramatize the confinement situation.”
Nochomovitz claimed it was the most difficult of the 36 marathons he has run, as the short length of the balcony prevented him from getting any momentum. He previously noted however that he was motivated to prove he could still run 40km.
However, his girlfriend was there to support him by feeding M&M’s and Coca Cola to keep him going.
When asked why he decided to go through with the marathon despite the logistical problems, Nochomovitz pointed out that it was important for his to stay home. According to The Guardian he said, “If everyone thinks the same way and does the same thing, we will all find ourselves outside and that won’t help anything, and the message that we need to stay confined at home will have had no impact,” said Nochomovitz.
France is currently in lock-down with movement being limited for only essential travel only. Nochomovitz joins several other individuals who have shared their fitness accomplishments despite being in quarantine.
