News
HIS TOUGHEST RACE YET
July 11, 2012
| And he’s off again! CBRE retail SVP Eric Gelber—who last year ran a 155-mile solo run to raise funds for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) in honor of his friend Anita Sorrell—is about to embark on his toughest race yet. (And we’re not talking about leasing retail space in Times Square.) |
 |
| Sadly, this past May, Anita (above with Eric) lost her battle with multiple myeloma, which has one of the worst survival rates of any cancer. (It's the second-most common blood cancer, and The MMRF is the world's largest private funder of research, with 90% of funds raised budgeted for cancer research.) With more resolve than ever to help find a cure, he’s now taking on the 135-mile non-stop Badwater Ultra Marathon beginning next Monday—even though he’s currently nursing an injured ankle. What got him involved in ultra marathons? “Lunacy,” he laughs. “It became ‘What’s next?’ First it was 50k, then 60k, and then a 50-miler.” He’s been building up for Badwater for the past three years and says that the crazier his runs get, the more support and fundraising success he has. |
 |
| So what does Eric face? He’ll join 90 of the world’s toughest athletes from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, Calif. in temps up to 130 degrees, with ambient heat from the pavement soaring as much as 180 degrees. (Hopefully the recent NYC heat wave prepped him—relief comes at night, when it’s a cool 90 degrees.) To qualify, he had to go through a grueling set of pre-race activities; training not only includes logging miles but hour-long sessions in a 170 to 180-degree sauna to acclimate to the heat and then sleep deprivation practice. The cut-off time for the race is 48 hours—if you aren’t done by then, you don’t get to finish. Eric will be supported by a crew of four close friends, including his wife, Tani. He’s raised over $112k for MMRF in four years, and this year, he’s raised $32k... so far. Cheer him on with your donation here and read more about his running adventures at his website. |
