MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s Lakefront has become a training ground for Clark Gamblin as he prepares for one of his biggest challenges yet.
The surgical oncologist with Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network plans to run seven marathons in seven consecutive days on seven continents.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked TMJ4’s Mike Beiermeister.
“Yes, definitely. Not just do it, but finish it,” laughed Gamblin. “I'm excited about it.”
That’s 183.4 miles in seven days.
Gamblin is doing it as part of the World Marathon Challenge. The organization handles the logistics.
The challenge begins in Antarctica on Jan. 31, 2025. That’s where Gamblin will run his first 26.2 miles.
The next day, he travels to Cape Town, South Africa. After that, it’s over to Perth, Australia, followed by Dubai and Madrid.
Watch: 7 marathons, 7 continents, 7 consecutive days, meet the doctor ready to run
Gamblin then flies across the Atlantic to Fortaleza, Brazil. He’ll finish the challenge on Feb. 6 in Miami.
“You can run a marathon on just sheer dedication or grit, but this is very different than that,” said Gamblin. “It's more than just grit. It's about training. It's about discipline. It's about really approaching it systematically.”
Above all, it’s about spreading the word about testicular cancer, a disease that hits close to home for him.
“I’m very proud to be a cancer survivor, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to kind of increase awareness of testicular cancer, particularly, but men's health and men's cancer in general,” said Gamblin.
The doctor found marathon running the year he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2018. That year, he ran both the Boston and New York marathons.
After finishing both, he sought out a bigger challenge, completing all six major marathons in the world. He checked that off in 2023.
“Even as a physician, when I learned one in 250 men will develop testicular cancer, I thought, ‘That can’t be right. That’s too high,’” said Gamblin. “I don't know that many men that have had this cancer, but really, I just think they haven't been vocal about it.”
That’s where he is coming in to help raise $250,000 to benefit the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation.
Over the past year, Gamblin has ramped up his training and weekly mileage. This week, he is averaging 65 miles, but it’s more than just running.
“It's been about core training and strength training and really some stretching,” said Gamblin.
In the heat of the marathon, Gamblin told TMJ4 he has one thing driving him.
“It’s really gratitude. Gratitude for the support. Gratitude for my health. It’s a lot of time to reflect and just think about how blessed I’ve been,” said Gamblin.
According to the TCAF, testicular cancer is the leading cancer in men ages 15 to 44.
Follow Clark's Journey Here: https://www.instagram.com/tclarkgamblin/
Donate Here: https://www.pledge.to/7-marathons-7-continents-7-days
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
