Runner to Cover 180 km in 5 Days

A teacher from Dubai made headlines last week by accepting a unique challenge—running 30km at each of six different schools to promote physical activity among students.

Lee Ryan, serving as the Sports Excellence Manager for the Enrich Me program within the Cognita Middle East school group, spearheaded this effort as part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC).

He aims to motivate his students to become more active.

"It has been an incredible experience to run at various schools and meet the students," Lee shared with Khaleej Times.

"Most of the students don't initially grasp what 30km means, so I explain it in simpler terms—it equates to about 30 laps around their sports field, and they find that astonishing."

Beginning at 6am each morning, Lee would run for roughly four hours at each school from November 11 to 15.

Through this initiative, he also drew attention to the Sparkle Foundation, which aids children in Malawi with educational opportunities.

At every school he visited, Lee was cheered on by large groups of students, some of whom even ran brief distances alongside him.

"Many of them brought placards to cheer me on," he recounted. "Some offered me juice or water. Several groups, including students, parents, and enthusiastic teachers, joined me for a short run.

My aim was for them to observe what I was doing, think about it, and later attempt to run at least a few kilometers themselves."

Lee's mission is to steer students away from excessive screen time. "Being a father of two, I'm aware of how technology and gadgets can dominate children's lives," he explained.

"I want more students to engage in sports and outdoor activities. Such pursuits are extremely beneficial for their evolution, and I believe our community should work toward encouraging children to play outside."

To achieve his goal, Lee selected six schools from the Cognita group located around Dubai. His plan was to complete a 30km run at each.

On Thursday, Lee covered 60km at two schools in a single day. "I ran at Repton Al Barsha in the morning, where more than 1,000 students came out to support me," he said.

"I finished just before 10am, spent some time refueling at the office, and by 4pm, I was at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, where families participated in the school's glow run. It was an outstanding experience."

Lee is quite familiar with such remarkable achievements. He holds five Guinness World Records and previously completed 40 marathons in 40 days to raise funds and awareness for the Sparkle Foundation.

Lee, who already boasts records like executing the most burpees in 24 hours and the fastest marathon while pushing a double stroller, aspires to achieve a sixth world record this year.

Source: khaleejtimes

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