Marathoner Tony Reed

In June 2007, Anthony “Tony” Reed became a monumental figure for people of color when he became the first person of African descent to complete a marathon race on all seven continents.

When Reed was eight years old, he was diagnosed with glycosuria, a pre-diabetic condition. As a teen, he loved track and cross-country because it gave him the confidence to combat his diagnosis. Upon graduating from high school, where he excelled academically, Reed obtained degrees from Webster University, University of Texas at Dallas and Dallas’ Abilene Christian University. In 1982, Reed ran his first marathon; from that point forward, he made a pledge to run fifty marathons by the time he was 50 years old. He achieved that goal in 2008 and has competed in over 125 marathons winning eight weight and age division trophies.

Reed is the co-founder of the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA), which is the nation’s largest not-for-profit organization that promotes distance running in the black community.