Nacoa just set a World Record in the name of children of alcoholics!
At the end of July, five runners took on a challenge that had never been attempted before: two marathons, on two different islands, in two different days – all in the name of children of alcoholics.
Scott, Matt, Calum, Josh and Ian set out to break a world record for the first-ever time-travelling double marathon. Using the unique geography of Samoa and American Samoa, they ran 26.2 miles twice within a single 24-hour window. Thanks to the International Date Line, this technically spanned two calendar days.
A midnight start in Samoa
The challenge began at one minute past midnight in Apia, the capital of Samoa. Running through the thick, humid night with no sleep, the team battled pain, injury and exhaustion for the first marathon. What kept them moving, they say, was the extraordinary warmth of the local community, who came out to cheer them on through the small hours.
Racing the clock and the calendar
With the first marathon barely finished, there was no time to rest, change or even catch their breath. The team jumped straight on a short flight to neighbouring American Samoa, a territory that sits on the other side of the International Date Line. The result: they landed roughly 24 hours before they had started, arriving the “day before” they left.
Running straight from the airport, the team began marathon number two almost immediately, working through gruelling laps at the local athletics stadium to complete the distance. Once again, the local community lifted their spirits, with music and cheering helping to carry the runners through soaring heat and mounting injuries.
In the closing miles, it looked as though Josh might miss his flight home. In a dramatic final push, he raced to the airport and crossed the finish line in the car park — a full eight hours before the record attempt had officially begun, by the local clock.
Against exhaustion, injury and the strangeness of running “backwards” through time, the team completed both marathons and set a genuine world first – a record we’re confident will be ratified by Guinness World Records.
What this support means for children of alcoholics
If you grew up with an alcohol-dependent parent, you know the harm can be devastating – and often, it’s hidden. So many children are still living in that silence today. We can’t go back and change that for them, but this challenge was born from that wish – if we could go back, we would break the silence.
Calum Best, Nacoa ambassador
Thank you for your support
Every mile run in Samoa and American Samoa was a mile in support of the estimated one in five children in the UK growing up with a parent who drinks too much. If you are affected by a parent’s drinking – this one is for you, and you are not alone.
A huge thank you to everyone who sponsored the team and donated to the challenge.
Special thanks go to Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, our lead supporter, whose generosity was instrumental in making this world record possible. We were proud to represent our shared achievements through the Nacoa’s Schools Outreach Programme through the logo on the official shirt.
And thank you to everyone else who gave – every pound raised goes directly towards helping children of alcoholics know they are not alone.
The JustGiving page is still open if you’d like to donate.
Get involved
Nacoa is a small charity that relies on the generosity of its supporters to continue providing vital services for children affected by a parent’s drinking.
If you’d like to support our work, why not become a Nacoa member and/or volunteer?
We’re also starting to recruit runners for the London Landmarks Half Marathon in April next year.
If you’d like to run for Team Nacoa, please email admin@nacoa.org.uk to find out more.
