In 1995, Canadian Nick Dubeski took a bus to Mexico on the first of three occasions and instantly fell in love with the country. On one of his visits to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Dubeski met his now life partner, Nancy Seeley, under a palm tree on a beach on a star-studded night and decided to stay indefinitely.
It was a love story that unfolded under the Mexican stars. I vividly remember watching Nick and Nancy’s romance blossom from the beginning. Now, 25 years and eight months later, they still celebrate their anniversary on the 23rd of every month, a testament to their enduring love.
Seeley, a seasoned runner with 47 marathons, planned to run the prestigious 1999 42.2 km marathon in Athens, Greece. Dubeski decided to train and enter alongside her for the very first time.
The pair moved to Mazatlan in 2012, and their love for running continued. Over the years, Dubeski has completed 40 marathons while Nancy, who completed 50, retired from competitive running due to knee issues.
Despite the challenges of age and speed, Nick’s love for running never waned. At 55, he made a bold decision to switch to half marathons, a testament to his perseverance and dedication to the sport.
To date, Dubeski has run 40 full marathons and 40 half marathons. “Most of my runs have been in Mexico, Canada and the USA, while 32 out of 40 of my half marathons are in Mexico. One of my favourite places to run is in Ixtapa, and one of my favourite places to compete is in Guadalajara, where most of the events take place. My fastest time was three hours and twenty minutes in Leon, Guanajuato,” Dubeski explains.
When COVID-19 hit worldwide in 2020, Dubeski had to find an alternative way to keep up his momentum. Interestingly, from the beginning of his running career, he meticulously logged every time and distance he had ever run. His record-keeping would work to his advantage because it was then that he learned about the virtual marathon movement. Despite COVID restrictions, he could run much as he always had, and it was during this time that he decided to set a goal for himself.
“I already knew that I had run 35,000 km and so I began to research what landmark I could run to. I realized that running to the sun would be impossible, but I saw that I only had 5,075 km left to go to completely run around the equator.”
A lofty goal, but running around the equator takes stamina and perseverance and is not for the faint-hearted. “I used to run six days a week, but now, at 69 years old, I only run two,” he said.
Despite this sheer toll on his body and the dedication and discipline it would take to accomplish such a feat, on July 1, 2024 — which was, appropriately, Canada Day, — Dubeski completed what he set out to do four years ago and ran around the equator. To the cheers of family, friends, and supporters at Deborah’s restaurant in Ixtapa, Dubeski crossed the finish line.
When asked how it felt to run around the middle of the world, albeit virtually, he said, “It feels wonderful to complete what I set out to do.” So what’s next?
“Well I figure that I have only 10,190 kms left to run to the moon,” Nick says. “All things considered, and if my health continues, I anticipate I’ll be 77 or 78 years old by that time. So that’s my next goal.”
Elisabeth Ashe is a Canadian who has lived and worked in Mexico for many years.
