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Despite Running With a Stroller to Fulfil Fatherhood Duties During Half Marathon, 28-Year-Old Athlete Achieves Unbelievable Feat

Published 06/13/2023, 10:18 AM EDT

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What must a father do if his fatherhood responsibilities clash with a certain personal engagement? How can anyone manage both, whilst also producing a more-than-decent result? A dad from Denmark, named Jacob Simonsen has the answer. After finding himself in a situation where no one was available to take care of his toddler, while he had a half-marathon to run, Simonsen came up with an inventive solution. Not only was it inventive, but it also led to a rare and enviable record by his son Viggo Simonsen along with him.

As the Danish dad ran the half-marathon in Aarhus, holding a stroller in one hand, athletics fans stood around the circuit, wowed by the spectacle. In an adorable Instagram video, Simonsen has detailed what it was like during the marathon with his son.

Half-marathon runner managed both things at once

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Jacob Simonsen is a long-distance runner from Denmark, who has held many records in his 28-year-old lifetime. As a new dad, Simonsen seems to be doing more than fine with his fatherhood responsibilities. That too without compromising on his love for running. An Instagram post by Personal Best went, “Imagine having a world record before you’ve turned 1!”

It talked about Viggo, Jacob Simonsen’s toddler son, who was there with him during the half-marathon. So technically, he too participated in the race with his dad. Simonsen completed the buggy half-marathon in just 1:08:04. In the video, Simonsen said, “It was pretty special running with him since you only have one hand on the steering wheel. So that’s tough”.

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En route to the marathon track in Aarhus, Simonsen also passed by many motorists and cyclists, who were all amazed to see him pull this off. His son too had a great time in the stroller.

It was a great bonding time for the father-son duo

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Jacob Simonsen continued, “But Viggo did well, he slept through the whole thing almost”, cracking an adorable joke with his son. Looking at Viggo, Simonsen continued, “You just slept”, while the toddler was giggling in a playful manner. He further said, “And then he woke up a little bit, and then just chillin'”. The father-son bond was well strengthened in the most innovative way possible. An opposite feat was achieved 2 years ago by Spanish runner Eric Domingo, who completed the Zurich Barcelona marathon while pushing his old mother in a wheelchair.

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As far as Jacob and Viggo Simonsen is concerned, the Instagram post rightly said, “What a cool fact for Viggo to share when he’s older”, but what’s more important is that the father and the son both had an enjoyable day out in the marathon. Simonsen finally said, “It was a fun day in Aarhus”. The man who represented Denmark at the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy, is sure to continue running no matter how old he gets. He will also look to impart the same habit upon his son when he grows up.

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Written by:

Tanmay Roy

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Tanmay Roy is a sports writer at EssentiallySports specializing in his coverage of the Olympics and other major American sporting events. His passion for sports was ignited by the early achievements of Michael Phelps, Pete Sampras, and John McEnroe. As a writer for EssentiallySports, Tanmay's articles have been recognized as Editor's Picks, showcasing his ability to craft engaging and thought-provoking stories.
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