The temperature in Antarctica was minus 25 degrees with the wind chill when Deirdre Keane grabbed first place on the snow-covered tundra in the first of seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.
Battling strong winds and “brutal” temperatures, the Northeastern graduate wore electric heated socks and mittens, and leaned into the wind gusts as needed to take the lead on the first day of the grueling World Marathon Challenge.
Day two was an extreme opposite. From the frigid Antarctic Circle, Keane headed to the scorching sun of Cape Town, South Africa, where she once again broke the tape at the finish line. The climates varied across the next five continents but Keane continued her steady pace and captured first place overall among women competing in the 183.4-mile event held from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6.
And it all started for Keane with a left turn along the Charles River in Boston about 12 years ago.
Keane ran down Huntington Avenue and onto Massachusetts Avenue toward the Charles.
The nursing student had completed the route many times since she decided to start running in her junior year at Northeastern. Keane would get to the river, turn right, loop around at the Museum of Science, go southwest along the river and then down Mass. Ave. and back toward Northeastern.
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