By Cherri Sherman
Undoubtedly the biggest obstacle for Daniel Chaplin in The Valley’s Mad Marathon half-marathon event on Sunday, July 7, was getting here.
Setting out on Friday from Homewood, Alabama, with his parents they had hoped to fly into Albany from Birmingham. Their flight from Birmingham landed in LaGuardia and, due to an electric storm, was diverted to Richmond, Virginia, were they spent five hours before their flight was cancelled at 1 am. Under extreme pressure to arrive in Vermont they rented a car for a 12-hour drive and arrived in Waitsfield at 1 am on Sunday. There was no way a Vermont marathon was to be missed.
Dan’s single mission was to check off his 49th state in order to complete his goal of a half marathon in all 50 states. This feat would qualify him for The Guinness World Records as the first runner with Down syndrome to do so. At 7 a.m. Dan Chaplin was at the starting line.
Running has been a large part of his life since he graduated from high school in 2010 and then took classes at Samford University in Homewood. A health class had a 5K as its final exam and so it began. He did 5 and 10K’s for two years then did his first half marathon in 2012 and joined the 50 States Half Marathon Club doing two to five races per year since then.
On Monday morning Dan reported he felt great and his legs did not hurt. When asked what was the hardest thing about the Mad Half, he replied, undoubtedly like the nearly 900 other participants, that it was the hills. The race was great he said and he would like to come back again. His dad, David, said that Dan is always positive and says everything is great even through some events have been at 32 degrees and others in pouring rain.
Throughout the Vermont course with temperatures in the high 80s under full sun, Dan was accompanied by Beth Stanley who is an athlete ambassador with the National Down Syndrome Society. She came from Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and their three children and met Dan for the first time. Stanley said, “The experience was an absolute joy and honor.”
On October 6, Dan will complete state 50 in Missouri, his birthplace. Bravo to Dan and all those who support his goal. There is no doubt but that Guinness will be adding his name in the world record book.
