It’s a gamble, but one that’s worthwhile for Ben Pobjoy.
The Mississauga, Ont., native has embarked on a journey to break through
Guinness World Record for most people marathon race driven by a male yearling (239), held by American Larry Macon.
Pobjoy, who started New Year’s Day, plans to accomplish the feat of running marathon-length distances across 90 countries, including Canada, while capturing the essence of all his discoveries along the way.
After leaving her job as executive creative director at advertising firm Behavior last August, Pobjoy felt it was time for a change.
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“The world where you have a steady paycheck, it’s really comfortable,” he told The Canadian Press.“But I just found that there wasn’t a lot of growth in it and to kind of cut myself out of it, throw myself out into the world and just have the ultimate pressure where it’s all on me to create something, it just felt like high time.
“Life is short.The pandemic showed me how quickly the world could change, and you know, if I want to gamble, I might as well gamble on myself.”
Shortly after quitting, he founded Kilometers International Inc.The extra “L” adds to the meaning of the name – “really just to kill as many miles as possible.”
“It’s being set up for this year, and then my hope is that I might be able to grow this thing in other ways,” Pobjoy said.“Because right now the focus is just the business of getting through this year, and what it will be after that, I think the future is unwritten.”
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The idea to chase the record came about in 2021, while much of the Greater Toronto Area was experiencing long stretches of time under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Not wanting the year to count for nothing, the 41-year-old decided to hike as often and as far as he could.The result was 174 marathons and over 11,500 kilometers covered.
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As a “gag”, he paid five pounds ($8.16) to the Guinness Book of World Records to have it certified as a record in Ontario.Instead, he was told it was “too niche” and that he should go for the world record.
“I put 174 with a job.
So if I quit this job and I’m unemployed, I only have to do another (66) more,” Pobjoy said of his thoughts at the time.“(It) was like (a) no-brainer for me.”
After a conversation with his wife, Christine, he has broken it up into four legs, where she will be with him for parts of each and he will visit the home at times.To give his family peace of mind, he also carries a satellite communicator that broadcasts a signal every two minutes to a portal they have access to, along with a button he can push in circumstances where he could be injured or kidnapped .
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His journey as a runner began about ten years ago, when he says he was “morbidly obese” and “super embarrassed” about going to the gym.He started out walking and, as he describes it, has become “like a real Forrest Gump story.”
“I’ve just been interested in seeing, not just how much further I can go, but enjoying crushing marathons around the world.No athletic pedigree, just an ordinary person to put one step in front of the other for some right crazy results.”
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The influence behind his approach in life stems from his past in punk rock.Pobjoy was a member of two bands earlier in his life – one late in high school and another while he was in university.
The concepts of not needing any accreditation, doing it yourself and just figuring it out were things he immersed himself in.
“I’ve pretty much applied that way of operating to my non-linear career path, as well as this project itself, which is basically just me,” he said.“I planned everything, I’m here solo, it’s super DIY.
“And if I hadn’t gone into punk, I don’t think I’d have the ability or maybe even the insanity to do anything that I’m doing now.”
© 2023 The Canadian Press.