Paralyzed Mount Pleasant man will attempt to break record at Charleston Marathon - Charleston Post Courier

It’s 26.4 miles from my house in Mount Pleasant to John McKissick field in Summerville – or about two-tenths of a mile longer than a marathon.

I know the distance because I’ve made that trip on many a Friday night during the high school football season.

Just thinking about the traffic on Clements Ferry Road, or getting stuck on the Don Holt Bridge heading toward I-26 sends my blood pressure through the roof. 

I can’t imagine trying to run, or even walk, a marathon, let alone do what Adam Gorlitsky will try and accomplish this weekend at Charleston Marathon.

Adam Gorlitsky, 32, walks with his Exoskeleton and his dad Stan Gorlitsky. Photo provided

Gorlitsky, 32, is paralyzed from the belly button down from injuries he suffered in a one-car accident 14 years ago. The former Wando High School cross country and track athlete completed the 2016 Cooper River Bridge Run in a ReWalk Robotic Exoskelton and has since competed in more than 50 races, including the Portland Half-Marathon and last year's Los Angeles Marathon.

Gorlitsky will attempt to break the 36-hour, 46-minute marathon world record for an Exoskelton athlete set by England’s Simons Kindleyside at last year’s London Marathon.

“Simons has the world record, and he has been kind of bragging that he’s the best,” Gorlitsky said. “It’s a friendly rivalry. I affectionately refer to him as my arch nemesis. I want to answer him and along the way raise the bar for myself a little bit.”

The Exoskeleton provides powered hip and knee motion, but most of Gorlitsky’s power will come from relentless arm and abdominal movement.

Gorlitsky founded the "I Got Legs" foundation “to support improvements to life-changing technology for the physically challenged” through grants, sponsorships and programs.

Gorlitsky aims to “re-enable" people like himself who have suffered life-altering incidents.

“The term 're-enabled' comes from how I feel when I’m in my Exoskeleton,” Gorlitsky said. “I don’t feel disabled and don’t feel able-bodied. I feel re-enabled.”

Gorlitsky attempted a full marathon in Los Angeles in 2019. The Los Angeles course, which starts at Dodger Stadium and ends near the Santa Monica Pier, was particularly challenging for the Lowcountry native. Gorlitsky called it quits after more than 28 hours and 17.2 miles.

“It was the hardest race course I’ve ever competed on in my life,” Gorlitsky said. “It was brutal, non-stop hills. My body just completely shut down.”

Gorlitsky learned his lessons from the Los Angeles Marathon and is confident he can complete the course on Saturday. He has increased his training regiment, which normally includes daily walks of 2 to 4 miles. It takes Gorlitsky about 55 minutes to walk one mile.

“Doing as many back-to-back training days as possible is the key for me,” he said.

This is part of Gorlitsky’s 1 million step tour that began when he started using the ReWalk Robotic Exoskelton more than three years ago at the Cooper River Bridge Run. Gorlitsky’s goal is to walk a total of one million steps competing in races. He’s up to 324,000 steps already and hopes to add between 78,000 and 80,000 steps during the Charleston Marathon.

Gorlitsky will start a little earlier than the rest of the field. He will set out Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. in front of Burke High School and hopes to complete the course by 11 a.m. on Saturday.

“I’ll have to take a couple of breaks along the course, get a couple of naps in, refuel, eat something,” Gorlitsky said. “I’m so excited and pumped to start the race.”

Beer Mile

On Sunday, Gorlitsky is hoping to celebrate his new world record with the Betty Carlton Beer Mile at Joe Riley Stadium.

The race will feature four laps and four beers. Participants can register as solo beer-milers or as two- or four-person relay teams.

"Hopefully, it’s the official after-party celebration for me setting the new world record," he said.

Proceeds will help assist Gorlitsky's "I Got Legs" foundation.

To register, go to bettycarlton.com.

Charleston Marathon

The Charleston Marathon isn’t just a 26.2 mile race. It's three races in one and includes a half-marathon (13.1 miles) and the Shrimp and Grits 5K (3.1 miles).

The Charleston Marathon can be used to qualify for April's Boston Marathon.

The marathon and half-marathon courses begin near Burke High School and meander through Hampton Park, around the Battery to The Citadel, along King Street and will finish in North Charleston at Riverfront Park. The 5K is set in North Charleston around Riverfront Park.

Registration for the marathon closes at 10 p.m. Friday night and there will be no packet pick-up the day of the race. You can register at https://capstoneraces.com/charleston-marathon/register/.

If you are planning on driving around downtown Charleston on Saturday morning, you might run into some issues, so plan accordingly. There will be plenty of road closures along the marathon course, which will last from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m., from downtown Charleston to North Charleston.

Here’s a link to a list of road closures: https://capstoneraces.com/charleston-marathon/road-closures/

Coming Up

Most people don’t think about January as a “racing” month with the cold weather and often rainy conditions in the Lowcountry, but there are still a couple of quality races on the calendar in the next few weeks.

The Charleston Running Club has one of its featured events with the Charlie Post Classic out on Sullivan’s Island on Jan. 25. It’s a 5K and 15K event. You can sign up here: https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/SullivansIsland/CharliePostClassic5Kand15K

The weekend before the Charlie Post Classic is the Off Road Duathlon at the Laurel Hill County Park in Mount Pleasant on Jan. 18. The three-part race features a two, 2-mile runs and a 7-mile bike on the dirt trails in the park.

You can sign-up here: https://www.ccprc.com/3263/Off-Road-Duathlon.

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