81.1%
of Earth
7,575 km to go
Dhanabalan Thangarasu · Earth Run Project · Calgary, Canada

DHANA RUNNING PLANET EARTH 40,075 KMs

3-year plan to Athens Classic Marathon · November 10, 2028 · Cross 40,075 km at km 8 — the Marathon Tomb

32,500
km logged
58
marathons
10
countries
14
years
Earth circumference progress 81.1% · 7,575 km remaining
0 km→ 32,500 km today40,075 km 🌍
3-Year Running Plan

The road to Athens

3,118 km/yr average — 8% below your 2025 pace of 3,377 km. No stretch targets. You have already run this volume.

✓ Confirmed feasible — within your demonstrated range
5yr average
2,956
km/yr baseline
2025 actual
3,377
km achieved
This plan
3,118
−8% below 2025 ✓
2023 peak
3,820
best ever year
This plan requires 3,118 km/yr on average — you ran 3,377 km in 2025 with no Earth-run specific focus. Entirely within your demonstrated capacity.
Milestone
Race month
Shanghai ⭐ Star 9
Europe trip
Athens finale
2026
Jun–Dec: 1,830 km  ·  Full year: 3,118 km  ·  Cruise year — build the base
Jun
255
→ 32,755 km
Jul
255
→ 33,010 km
Aug
310
33,000 km ✓
Sep
265
→ 33,585 km
Oct
345
→ 33,930 km
Nov
190
→ 34,120 km
Dec
210
34,000 km ✓
2027
3,185 km  ·  Rio Jun 🇧🇷 · Cape Town Sep 🇿🇦 · Shanghai Dec 🇨🇳  ·  Three landmark races · Two new continents · WMM Star 9
Jan
290
→ 34,420 km
Feb
260
→ 34,680 km
Mar
295
→ 34,975 km
Apr
265
35,000 km ✓
May
245
Rio prep 🇧🇷
Jun
255
Rio Marathon Jun 6 🇧🇷
Jul
255
→ 35,995 km
Aug
310
36,000 km ✓
Sep
265
Cape Town Sep 🇿🇦
Oct
345
→ 36,915 km
Nov
190
37,000 km ✓
Dec
210
Shanghai WMM ⭐9 🇨🇳
2028
2,967 km  ·  30-day Europe trip · Athens Marathon Nov 10  ·  The finish year
Jan
290
→ 37,605 km
Feb
260
→ 37,865 km
Mar
295
38,000 km ✓
Apr
265
→ 38,425 km
May
245
→ 38,670 km
Jun
255
→ 38,925 km
Jul
255
39,000 km ✓
Aug
310
→ 39,490 km
Sep
265
Taper — Europe packing
Oct
312
🏃 Europe Trip Oct 14–Nov 9
Nov
50+42
🏛 Athens Marathon Nov 10
Journey markers

Key Milestones

Eight checkpoints from today to the finish line. Every milestone is a new chapter of the Earth circumference story.

32,500
Today — 81.1% complete
32,500 of 40,075 km · 58 marathons logged
Done ✓
33,000
33,000 km — 82.3% of Earth
Cruising into Ironman summer
Aug 2026
35,000
35,000 km — 87.3% of Earth
Rio Marathon month · South America continent tick
Apr 2027
37,000
37,000 km — 92.3% of Earth
After Cape Town · Shanghai next · 6 continents complete
Nov 2027
38,000
38,000 km — 94.8% of Earth
Final year building toward Europe trip
Mar 2028
39,000
39,000 km — 97.3% of Earth
Final stretch begins · 1,075 km to go
Jul 2028
39,755
Board the flight to Lisbon 🛫
30-day Europe running tour begins · 8 countries ahead
Oct 14, 2028
40,075
🌍 Full circumference of the Earth
Marathon Tomb, Athens — km 8 of Athens Classic Marathon · 2,518 years of history · Nine Star WMM complete
Nov 10, 2028
Total marathons by finish
65+
incl. Rio, Cape Town, Shanghai, Athens
WMM Stars
9 ⭐
Nine Star grand slam · Cape Town + Shanghai
Continents completed
6 of 7
Antarctica remains
Years of running
16
2012 → 2028
2027 — Three landmark races

South America · Africa · Nine Star

Rio in June, Cape Town in September, Shanghai in December. Three continents, three races, one extraordinary year.

South America · Continent Tick #5 · June 2027
Rio de Janeiro Marathon 🇧🇷
June 6, 2027 · Flamengo Park · World Athletics Label · 30,000 runners
Why Rio over Buenos Aires
Rio is the heart of South America — host of the 2016 Olympics, cultural capital of Brazil. Running past Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana, and Sugarloaf Mountain is an experience no flat Buenos Aires course can match.
The course
Start and finish at Flamengo Park. Atlantic Ocean on your right, Serra do Mar mountains on your left for 42.2 km. Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon waterfront. Most dramatic coastal marathon course in the world.
Logistics from Calgary
YYC → Rio via Houston or Toronto (~16hrs). June = late fall in Rio, 21°C low humidity — ideal conditions. Canadian passport requires Brazil e-Visa (~USD $80, apply 2 weeks ahead).
Date
Jun 6, 2027
Weather
21°C sunny
Entry
~CAD $1,500
Africa · Continent Tick #6 · WMM Star 8 · September 2027
Cape Town Marathon 🇿🇦
May 2027 · V&A Waterfront · Abbott WMM Official 2027 · Table Mountain backdrop
Why Cape Town
Table Mountain (1,086m) dominates the skyline for the entire race. V&A Waterfront start, Sea Point Atlantic promenade, two-ocean views. Africa's most visually dramatic marathon. Officially joins the WMM in 2027 as Star 8.
Perfect double with Rio
Rio in June, Cape Town in September — South America and Africa in the same calendar year. After Cape Town you will have run on 6 of 7 continents. Only Antarctica remains.
Date
May 2027
Weather
19°C spring
Entry
~USD $60
Continent scorecard after Rio + Cape Town (2027) ✅ North America  ·  ✅ Europe  ·  ✅ Asia  ·  ✅ Oceania
✅ South America — Rio, June 2027  ·  ✅ Africa — Cape Town, 2027
🐧 Antarctica → the 7th chapter, when ready
⭐ WMM Star 9 · Nine Star Grand Slam · China's first World Marathon Major
Shanghai Marathon 🇨🇳
December 2027 · Shanghai Stadium · First ever Nine Star finisher medal
The Nine Star milestone
Shanghai officially joins the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2027 after passing its final assessment on December 6, 2026. The first runners to collect the Nine Star finisher medal will do so at the 2027 Shanghai Marathon. Running it makes you among the very first Nine Star finishers in history.
The course
Starting from the iconic Bund waterfront, past the French Concession, through People's Square, finishing at Shanghai Stadium. Flat, fast, and PB-friendly. 23,000 runners including 2,000+ international participants.
Registration
Lottery opens ~April 2027 at the official Shanghai Marathon website. Apply immediately — international slots are strictly limited. China tourist visa required (~6 weeks processing).
Date
Dec 2027
Weather
8–12°C crisp
Entry
Lottery ~USD $160
October 14 – November 12, 2028

30-Day Europe Running Tour

8 countries. 12–13 km every day. Lisbon to Athens on foot. Cross 40,075 km at the Marathon Tomb. Then run Athens.

Start
Oct 14 · Lisbon 🇵🇹
Countries
8 countries
Daily running
12–13 km/day
Earth finish
Nov 10 · Athens km 8
Transit
Interrail pass + ferry
Oct 14–16
Portugal 🇵🇹
Sintra palace trails · Cascais sea cliffs · Estoril promenade
💡 Sintra-Cascais Natural Park coastal path — jaw-dropping Atlantic sea stacks
🛫 Fly YYC → Lisbon via London or Toronto
12–13/day
Oct 17–19
Spain — Andalusia 🇪🇸
Ronda gorge path · Seville old town · Costa del Sol seafront
💡 Ronda's El Tajo gorge running path above a 150m chasm — most dramatic 12km in Europe
🚆 Train Lisbon → Seville 2.5hr, bus to Ronda
12–13/day
Oct 20–22
French Riviera 🇫🇷
Monaco harbour loop · Nice Promenade des Anglais · Cap d'Antibes trail
💡 Monaco cliff roads to Nice — run above the Mediterranean on Formula 1 roads
🚆 Train Seville → Barcelona → Nice TGV (scenic coast)
12–13/day
Oct 23–25
Cinque Terre, Italy 🇮🇹
Cliff village coastal trails · Vernazza to Corniglia path · Portofino headland
💡 Run the Cinque Terre trail at dawn before tourist groups arrive — 5 pastel villages on vertical cliffs
🚆 Train Nice → La Spezia (Cinque Terre gateway) 2hr
11–12/day
Oct 26–28
Tuscany, Italy 🇮🇹
Florence Arno riverside · Chianti vineyard roads · San Gimignano hill circuits
💡 Tuscany's cypress-lined dirt roads through golden autumn vineyards — pure Italian cinema
🚆 Train Cinque Terre → Florence 1.5hr
12–13/day
Oct 29–31
Slovenia 🇸🇮
Lake Bled circuit · Triglav foothills · Ljubljana riverside old town
💡 Lake Bled's 6km circuit at dawn — island church reflected in still water, snow-capped Alps behind
🚆 Train Florence → Venice 2hr · Bus Venice → Ljubljana 2.5hr
12–13/day
Nov 1–3
Croatia 🇭🇷
Plitvice Lakes forest paths · Split Roman walls · Dalmatian coast road
💡 Running Diocletian's Palace perimeter in Split at sunrise — 1,700 years of Roman history
🚌 Bus Ljubljana → Split 5hr
12/day
Nov 4–6
Greece — North 🇬🇷
Thessaloniki waterfront · Meteora rock monastery plateau · Pella ancient ruins
💡 Running the plateau road around Meteora — 300m stone pillars with Byzantine monasteries on top
🚢 Overnight ferry Split → Corfu · Bus to Thessaloniki
12–13/day
Nov 7–9
Athens — Taper 🇬🇷
Acropolis hill path · Panathenaic Stadium preview · Marathon coastal road shakeout
💡 Run up to the Acropolis at sunset on Nov 9 — your last easy run before history
🚆 Train Thessaloniki → Athens 5hr
8–10 taper
Nov 10
Athens Classic Marathon 🏛 🌍
Marathon Town → Marathon Tomb (km 8 — 40,075 km) → Panathenaic Stadium
✦ You cross 40,075 km at the Marathon Tomb — completing Earth's circumference where the marathon was born 2,518 years ago
🚌 Chartered bus from Athens to Marathon Town start, 7:00am
42.2 km
The grand finale

Athens Classic Marathon

November 10, 2028 · The most meaningful 42.2 km of your life. The birthplace of the marathon — and your Earth-finish line.

The Moment
At kilometre 8 of the Athens Marathon, you will cross 40,075 km — the full circumference of the Earth. That point is the Marathon Tomb (Tymbos Marathona), the burial mound of the 192 Athenian soldiers who fell at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC — the battle that inspired the very first long-distance run. You will complete humanity's greatest running distance at the spot where running history was born. Then run 34.2 km downhill into the ancient marble Panathenaic Stadium.
km 0–4
Marathon Town start
Flat coastal road past olive groves. The Marathon Flame was lit at the Tomb the night before. An atmosphere unlike any other start line on Earth. 9:00am, 16,000 runners.
km 4–8
✦ Marathon Tomb — 40,075 km
The burial mound of 192 Athenian soldiers, 490 BC. You cross 40,075 km here — completing the circumference of the Earth at the exact spot that gave the marathon its name, 2,518 years ago. The Nine Star journey is complete.
km 8–31
The great climb
21 km of sustained ascent through pine forests and Athens suburbs. The toughest consecutive climb of any major marathon. You have already completed the Earth. Run this knowing the world is yours.
km 31–38
The descent begins
You crest the climb at 280m elevation. Panoramic views of Athens below. The legs open up. Fidippidou Street — named after Pheidippides himself — awaits.
km 38–42.2
The Panathenaic Stadium
Through the tunnel into the ancient marble track. 50,000 spectators. The Acropolis visible on the hill. You finish the circumference of the Earth in the stadium of the 1896 Olympics — the most meaningful finish line in the history of running.
Race date
Nov 10
2028 · 2nd Sunday of November
Earth cross
km 8
Marathon Tomb · 490 BC
Finish line
Marble
Panathenaic Stadium · 1896
Temperature
18°C
Mild November sunshine
Field size
16,000
Very international crowd
Registration
Open
No ballot · ~€60 · sells out fast
Action Checklist
01
Athens Marathon 2028 — register as soon as registration opens (~April 2028) at athensmarathon.com. It sells out. Don't wait.
02
Rio de Janeiro Marathon 2027 — book tour package via marathontours.com now. Bibs are bundled with packages and go quickly.
03
Cape Town Marathon 2027 — open entry at capetownmarathon.com. Register from January 2027. No ballot required.
04
Shanghai Marathon 2027 — lottery opens ~April 2027. Apply immediately at the official Shanghai Marathon site. International slots are strictly limited. ~USD $160. China tourist visa required (~6 weeks).
05
Europe trip flights — book YYC → Lisbon (Oct 14, 2028) and Athens → YYC (Nov 13, 2028) by early 2028 for best fares.
06
Interrail Global Pass (1 month) — covers all train legs Portugal through Slovenia. ~€400. Book at interrail.eu.
07
Canada e-Visa for Brazil — required since April 2025. Apply online at gov.br at least 2 weeks before departure. ~USD $80.