On Sunday, a Louisiana man took to the treadmill at his local gym in Lafayette, La., attempting to break the Guinness World Record for a half-marathon treadmill. Jarrett Leblanca 2020 US Olympic marathon trials qualifier, clocked a time of 62:50 over 21.1 kilometers, breaking the old mark of 63:08 from 2020 and raising money for a non-profit organization that provides camps and programs for children with heart defects.
Leblanc had the speed on the treadmill set at a ridiculous 12.5 mph for nearly the whole challenge. According to local news, Leblanc was six seconds ahead of the record through his first 5K split (14:54) and built a 13-second cushion, hitting 29:46 through 10K. He ended up breaking the previous mark by 18 seconds. The previous treadmill record was held by US 2:12-marathoner John Raneriwho placed fourth at the California International Marathon in 2022.
@JarrettLeBlanc1 broke the world record today for the treadmill 1/2 Marathon his time of 1:02.50 was 18sec faster then the previous mark. His effort was to raise awareness and funds for @CampBonCoeur for children with heart defects! ##LetsRun #kplctv #americanpress #mcneese pic.twitter.com/WyrCjechjq
— Brendon Gilroy (@MSUCoachGilroy) July 23, 2023
The 32-year-old told local news that his inspiration behind targeting the record came from a friend who broke this same record while running on a treadmill at altitude. “He broke the record at an altitude, so with me doing it at sea level, I knew I already had an advantage,” he said. “The thought of having a World Record attempt would not only bring the community together but also the entire world to get behind a great cause to help the children.”
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Leblanc works full-time as a registered diagnostic cardiac sonographer at the Lafayette General Medical Center, and wanted to use his platform and passion to raise money for Camp Bon Coeur, a camp for children with hearts that have needed mending. Leblanc has so far reached nearly $10,000 of his $25,000 goal.
This world-record feat isn’t Leblanc’s first running accomplishment. In 2015, he became the first Louisiana native to run a sub-four-minute mile on Louisiana soil, clocking 3: 59.95 in front of his friends and family in Lafayette. His success has also led him to qualify for the 2016 and 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials.
