To complete a marathon in any amount of time is a remarkable achievement. Almost 20,000 runners and walkers tried it in this afternoon's Dublin marathon.
One of those that took on the challenge this morning was 70-year-old Michel Bach. The Frenchman has helped create an annual marathon in his home area of Marne and has raced all across the planet. He was one of the stars of today's Dublin marathon when he completed the arduous journey while wearing a massive Eiffel Tower.
Someone dressed up as the Eiffel Tower at today's Dublin marathon. pic.twitter.com/YngvF7zJQp
— Kevin Nolan (@nolankev) October 30, 2016
Balls.ie caught up with Bach at the finish line around Merrion Square. Unfortunately he doesn't speak English but luckily his companion Gerard Gless translated our conversation. Bach says he has run over 200 marathons, though not all with the Eiffel Tower on.
''He started running when he was 40 years old and has been going strong ever since. We've run together in New York, Chicago and Paris. He's maybe run over 200 marathons in the 30 years from India to Nepal to Los Angeles.
He's completed the Marathon Des Sables for 25 years in a row and has ran the Spartathlon''
That Spartathlon involves a gruelling sprint for almost 270 kilometres from Athens to Sparta. The catch is that you have to do it in less than 36 hours. And just in case that wasn't difficult enough, there's a mountain range to climb too.
Bach dons the Eiffel Tower in marathons from time to time in order to stand out and embrace his Frenchness.
Bach attempts to run over 5000 kilometres per year but was hampered slightly in 2011 when he had a cancer scare. Dublin is not the first city where he attempted the 42.195k with an Eiffel Tower suit. He did the same in New York in 2012.
Bach finished today's race just over six hours and thirty minutes, a truly incredible feat.
Our Eiffel Tower has just crossed the #DublinMarathon finish line - what an achievement 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/eHDKrv0Vfn
— Irish Life Dublin Marathon (@dublinmarathon) October 30, 2016
We salute you Monsieur Bach.
