Tighe: Teacher Eyes World Record

By Rick Foster Sun Chronicle Staff 3/18/2005

ATTLEBORO -- The seemingly impossible, like running 45 miles across the top of the world, doesn't faze Martin Tighe. It just takes him a little longer.

If you're talking about something that's merely excruciatingly difficult, he'll do it in a day. Tighe, 46, has competed throughout the world in triathlons, ultra marathons and other events requiring an excess of stamina. In 2003, he trained for months in a giant freezer to compete in the North Pole Ultra marathon, and won the frozen trek across the Arctic.

But none of those feats required Tighe, an adjustment counselor at The Network, Attleboro's alternative school environment for at-risk teens, to go the distance he plans to cover in just one day April 29, when he hopes to set a world distance record on a treadmill.

Martin Tighe in his office.
(Staff photo by Martin Gavin)

Tighe plans to run more than 154 miles in 24 hours to gain a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. He’s also hoping to use his example to encourage teens to “Go The Distance” and stay in school.

”This is more challenging than anything I’ve tried up to now,” said Tighe, who has become something of an icon within the Attleboro School  Department for encouraging challenging teens to succeed and promoting a message of teamwork and mutual achievement.

After completing the North pole marathon, Tighe crowned his victory by planting a banner carrying the school department motto “Together we learn, grow and succeed” on the North Pole.

The April 29 attempt, which will be in the lobby of Attleboro High School, will also be a fund-raiser for The Network Parent Teacher Organization in which donors can pledge a fixed amount for each mile the counselor runs.

Tighe is planning a warm up for the big day by attempting to set a record fro running over a 12 hour period. That attempt is scheduled to begin 6 a.m. Saturday at Emerald Square Mall on Route 1 in North Attleboro.

The Network serves about 35 students who have had trouble learning in a normal high school setting or at risk of dropping out.

Director Kathy Vespia said students are excited about the record attempt, which she said is a metaphor for “Going The Distance” and obtaining a high school diploma.

”This is a fun thing that we can do with our kids,” she said. “But there’s also an important message. These kids have experienced some problems in their lives, and they can certainly identify with what Martin’s going through.”

Tighe doesn’t appear overly worried about breaking the record, even though he’ll get only brief breaks for rest or a visit to the men’s room. He’s also not allowed to hold onto the railing of his Nordic Track treadmill during the attempt.

But them again, Tighe has been too busy preparing for his world record run to give much thought to failure.

Tighe and supporters have signed up a number of sponsors including Nordic Track, local businesses Bliss Brothers Dairy and State Line Scrap along with various community organizations.

Several groups, including the Attleboro Police Department and the local court probation department, will be providing “support teams” that will run relays alongside Tighe.

In addition, local fitness and educational organizations will set up informational booths, and a student group has organized to film a video documentary about the run. The group has also set up a detailed Web page about the world record attempt with a number of educational links.

Tighe said that while he hopes youths who feel challenged in their educational careers will take encouragement from his feats, he also draws strength from them.

”A lot of the energy I get comes from their ability to overcome adversity,” he said. “Their resilience inspires me to test my own limits.”

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