In the months since we last covered Nick Butter’s odd, magnificent quest to run a marathon in every nation of the world, the endurance athlete has quietly ticked off country after country. So far, he has completed 159 marathons with 37 more to go.
Last month, he was in Asia. In early July, after a rest period in his native UK, Butter went to Nepal. Heavy monsoon rains and flooding forced delays, a flight cancellation and a long, bumpy drive to Kathmandu. In the end, he managed to complete what he dubbed his Leech Marathon.
His trips to Bhutan, India and Bangladesh were equally unpredictable, in a predictably Asian sort of way. Malfunctioning airport scanners, ridiculous baggage policies and overcrowded flights made flying from India to Bangladesh a logistical nightmare.
Nick Butter along the Annapurna Circuit. Photo: Nick Butter
In Bangladesh, he contracted food poisoning and had to temporarily cancel his marathon. His health worsened in Sri Lanka. Vomiting and diarrhea dehydrated him and led to a kidney infection, which manifested as severe back pains. Despite this, he completed his Sri Lankan marathon and is currently in the Maldives, with an estimated 112 days left.
