Tony Toledo runs around the world
By RICK SOLEM / rick.solem@lee.net
Tony Toledo, 61, has completed marathons on all seven continents. Originally from Guatemala but currently living in La Crosse, Toledo has ran in 68 marathons. Jake Rajewsky/La Crosse Tribune
Tony Toledo, 61, has run in 67 marathons and 10 ultra-marathons since he started running them in 1986. Toledo moved to La Crosse in 1982 from Guatemala and has worked as a medical technologist at Gundersen Lutheran.
Here’s his continent-by-continent race breakdown.
Greetings
“You go to all these countries and you don’t know the languages, but you learn to at least greet people, because as you’re passing or getting passed or sightseeing, you’re always saying ‘Hello,’ ‘Jambo’ (Swahili), ‘Hola’ (Spanish), ‘Ni hau’ (Japanese), ‘Bonjour’ (French), or … ‘Good day’ (“Australian”).
Antarctica / Feb. 26, 2007 / Last Marathon, King George Island, Antarctica
Believe it or not, the marathon was the easy part on this trip. The hard part was the first 24 hours on the high seas.
“I was seasick for hours and hours,” he said. “I had medicine, a patch and pills. After some time, you get used to it. Even though you feel sick, you can live with it.”
The most interesting part of the run was when a group of three encountered a fur seal on the path and nobody knew what to do.
“We were all, ‘You go first. No, you go first,’” Toledo said. “I don’t know how a seal would react to a human. We were more scared than it was, probably.”
The day was like a nice winter day in Wisconsin, Toledo said. It was about 20 to 25 degrees and snowing.
South America / March 7, 2007 / Fin del Mundo Marathon in Ushuaia, Argentina
A week after the marathon in Antarctica, Toledo headed to the southernmost city in the world for another 26.2-mile race.
“One of the signs I remember seeing along the route was one that said, “Alaska – 17,000 kilometers.
“What was interesting, I had just finished a marathon in Anchorage.”
After another boat ride, this marathon was challenging because of the little time between runs.
Australia / July 6, 2008 / Gold Coast Marathon, Gold Coast, Australia
Running along the ocean, Toledo quickly witnessed the beauty of the Gold Coast.
“We were taken to this spot in the eastern part of continent,” he said. “After the marathon, we got to see the migration of humpback whales and dolphins coming from the south and swimming north.
“That day, we saw maybe 300 whales.”
Europe / Sept. 6, 2008 / Medoc Marathon, Pauillac, France
This marathon may have gotten the hearts of Toledo’s family racing more than Toledo himself. His grandson, Tony Toledo IV, came along on the trip and at one point during the race asked if he could run with Grandpa.
The plan was to have him run a bit, and Grandma would pick him up at the next water stop.
Problem was the group couldn’t find each other at the next stop, so they kept running.
Eventually a few kilometers turned into 15 or 20, and Tony IV was spent.
“He was tired, I was getting behind,” Tony said. “So I gave him to one of the officers to take to the finish line and wait. In the meantime, my wife thought he was lost and was looking all over for him with the police.”
When Tony finished, there was his grandson and the rest of the family, a bit upset about the dilemma. Tony IV wasn’t.
“He was having a snack and having fun,” Tony said.
The two still run together in 5Ks and 10Ks. And Tony IV still is the first to the finish line – without a police escort.
“I always win,” he said. “I sprint at the end.”
North America / May 3, 2009 / La Crosse Fitness Festival Marathon
Toledo has run many North American marathons – his first was Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., in 1986 – but the one that sticks out was the one in his adopted hometown.
“I was just happy I was here and it was the first city marathon,” he said of the inaugural event. “I think I had run in every street except Wilson Street right in front of Onalaska High School. It was four blocks I had never run.”
Africa / June 21, 2009 / Mount Kilimanjaro Marathon, Moshi, Tanzania
Six days before running the marathon, Toledo and company took advantage of their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Yes, he climbed a mountain – 5,895-meter elevation – and then ran a marathon. The climb took four days and four nights.
Asia / May 10, 2010 / Great Wall of China Marathon, Jixian, China
This was one of the hardest marathons of Toledo’s life. Part of the run took place on the Great Wall of China, but the terrain was difficult, and the temperatures were in upper 90s.
“It was a 5K uphill to reach the wall and then on the wall there are steps going up and down – and all the steps are uneven,” Toledo said. “It was challenging, but I finished it.”
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