Despite running a successful financial services firm, Celebration’s Conor Delaney takes time to devote to his health and fitness. For example, he runs marathons.
In fact, he’ll run one in the coming week.
In Antarctica.
Then, he’ll get on a plane to South Africa, and run another the next day. Fitness willing, he’ll repeat this five more days on five different continents.
It’s all part of the Great World Race starting Monday, Nov. 10 (weather permitting in Antarctica).
Here’s what he’s signed up for: seven marathons on seven different continents in seven consecutive days, which is more than 183 miles of running from Antarctica to Miami.
After the race “way down South”, participants will run in Cape Town, South Africa, Perth, Australia, Abu Dhabi, Asia, Algarve, Portugal, Cartegena, Colombia and Miami for the finale on Nov. 23 or 24. Organizers will fly them each night on a charter plane with lay-down pods that will help with rehabbing.
Delaney is a veteran of the world’s biggest marathons–New York, Boston, Chicago, Tokyo, London, and Berlin. He said the last marathon he ran was the Marine Corps Run in Washington, D.C. in 2024, and he said he was training for one this year in Florence, Italy, when the Great Race opportunity came up.
Delaney, who’s been training 80-100 miles around Celebration, all while running the company and raising five kids ages 1 to 13 with his wife Liz, said he’s just looking to finish all seven races. There is a competitive component, as race officials combine the seven times to produce a “winner” (lead survivor?). In 2024 David Kilgore averaged 3:20 for the seven races, completing most right about three hours but took over five hours for the Asia race and still had a combined time 16 minutes faster than second place.
So while that covers with “When,” “Where” and “How”, the lingering question is … “Why, Conor?”
He said it’s to walk the walk (run the run?) of work-life balance and healthy habits not only for his family but in an ultra-competitive industry.
“My dad died when I was in high school, my mom suffered a stroke, and in my youth I was the overweight kid,” Delaney said. “I felt a calling to do what I can to set up my family for success (wife Liz also runs). I’m blessed with a family I can pass this on to.
“My industry has a higher that average rate of divorces, diabetes and not having great standards of health and nutrition. We aren’t great stewards of that balance, so I’m trying to be a catalyst for positive change in the asset management industry.”
Once he committed to life of fitness outside of work, he said his cardiologist told him he had “reversed his genetics.”
“That tells me I’m able to be better than the previous generation,” Delaney said.
He said he aims to “be better” in both the physical and professional sides of his life.
“If I can take care of myself better and as a financial advisor be a good steward of both their money and health, people will be able to enjoy what they earn and save,” Delaney said. “It’s a level of discipline from your desk, and I’m trying to share how people can attack, say, a 5K the same way they would a wealth management system. It’s a new kind of grind.”
“It’s about pushing yourself.”
Taking on a healthy life one race at a time
