Relentless, a book by Dr David Gething

In 2007, the author’s pregnant wife pointed out that he was getting a little soft: too much bad food, not enough exercise, perhaps not quite the right role model for their soon-to-be-born child. Gething took her observation to heart and vowed to get into shape. He started running, eventually graduating to marathons, and, in 2015, he entered and won the very first World Marathon Challenge, which is just as hard as it sounds: seven full marathons in the space of a week in Antarctica, South America, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia.

It sounds like an incredible ordeal, the kind of thing you wonder why anyone would subject himself to, and indeed that’s a big part of this memoir: the author explaining how and why he went, in the space of less than a decade, from an ordinary, out-of-shape guy to a world-class marathon runner. Full of interesting and surprising stories—it really was quite a journey, and it’s populated by an engaging cast of real-life characters—the book should appeal to runners of all kinds, from newbies to veterans. Booklist 

The ambition and dedication that David Gething demonstrates in his remarkable achievement shows that he has the true spirit of an IRONMAN: Anything is Possible with the right amount of dedication and commitment. Andrew Messick, CEO of Ironman

A wonderfully told adventure about pushing your limits—for runners and non-runners alike. I couldn't put it down. John Ellis, Ultra Runner

David Gething has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of the event—the characters, courses, logistics, the internal dialogues and doubts, the issues and ethics and, in the end, the sheer magnitude of it all. Yet, like Ultraman, despite its length and relatively small number of competitors, Gething draws the reader into the art and heart of what it means to be a champion. Gething translates the nuances of such a multi-day challenge into an exciting finale both on and off the pages of the book. I was totally impressed and engrossed. An excellent read—I would totally recommend the book. Steve King, Ironman, Ultraman, and Ultramarathon legend

When David first approached me about racing the 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents challenge, I first wondered how it was even possible. But then I also realized that David is one of those special athletes with the physical strength to handle the punishment that would need to be endured—and even more importantly, the mental strength to stay focused and keep pushing right to the end no matter how much suffering he would have to endure. Nigel Gray, elite professional triathlete and coach, NRG Performance Training