Some people aspire to travel the world. They want to expose themselves to different cultures, marvel at amazing views and soak in as much beauty as they can. For most people, even the thought of visiting every continent before they die is a far-fetched dream.

But running a marathon in every continent? Most people wouldn’t dare dream that big.

Yet this December, after he runs a marathon in Antarctica through ice and snow in below-freezing temperatures, D.C. lawyer Mike Heyl will have completed marathons in all seven continents.

Although Heyl was never an avid runner, he took up the activity prior to getting married in order to get fit and pursue a personal hobby.

In 2004, Heyl ran his first marathon in D.C. Heyl said he enjoyed the experience more than he expected and soon signed up for an April marathon in Paris, bringing his wife Alexandra along with him for the trip.

After the Paris run, setting a goal of running in every continent seemed natural to Heyl and colleague Ted Wilson.

“When you run 26 miles with someone else, you have a lot of time to talk about things,” Heyl said. “While we were running in Paris, we kind of made it a loose lifetime goal, but after conversation and conversation, we just decided to go for it.”

After Paris came the Great Wall of China, with its winding staircases and challenging ascents. Next, Heyl and Wilson headed to Sydney, Australia.

After the Sydney run, Heyl took a couple years off from running marathons because Wilson suffered a back injury which prevented him from competing. Although Heyl continued to run in his free time the goal of running a marathon in every continent was no longer a top priority.

Then last year while on his way home from a conference in Sydney, Australia, Heyl had a layover in Johannesburg, South Africa. Conveniently, the Big Five Marathon was being held that weekend, so Heyl decided to compete.

For those 26 miles, Heyl ran alongside lions and cheetahs, which unnerved his wife Alexandra.

“Some of it’s a little nerve-wracking, but I knew the gamekeepers would take care of him,” she said. “He’s having a fun adventure, and I would never let my fear get in the way of that.”

Finally, the opportunity arose to run a marathon in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“My wife and I typically go away every October for our anniversary, so we thought, ‘Why don’t we go to Buenos Aires and I can run that marathon while we’re down there?’” Heyl said.

After completing the South America marathon in late 2009, Heyl is now ready for the final phase of his mission: Antarctica.

Heyl said that the biggest challenge he will face in this upcoming marathon will be the snow covering the ground, which makes the surface slippery and difficult to trudge through. Typically, only three to four runners even sign up for the harrowing race.

“Last year they smoothed down the trail, but then it snowed the night before the marathon. I don’t want that to happen to me,” he said, adding that he’ll probably run in trail shoes to gain as much traction as possible.

Heyl said that he’s hoping the D.C. area will have a cold winter so he’s better prepared for the frigid temperatures.

Heyl has never run for competition, but rather for the personal satisfaction of crossing the finish line. During the marathon along the Great Wall in China, Heyl and his companion observed the the beautiful scenery and took their time climbing the stairs. They reached the finish line in seven and a half hours, compared to the four and five hours marathons normally take Heyl to complete.

Heyl plans to run mostly half-marathons after he becomes the member of a just over 100-person club of individuals have run a marathon in every continent. He said that running will always be an important part of his life.

“I can’t see myself not running,” he said. “It helps clear everything up for me.”