Idaho dad sets world record during half marathon to show his kids 'anything is possible'

When Chad Kempel crossed the finish line at his first ever half marathon, he wasn't alone — five of his children were right there with him, secure in a stroller that he pushed the entire way.

Last month, Kempel finished the half marathon at California's Oakland Running Festival in 2 hours and 19 minutes. His 4-year-old quintuplets — Lincoln, Noelle, Grayson, Preston, and Gabriella — plus the stroller weighed 240 pounds, and he told Today Parents that at several points, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep going. Then, the Idaho resident remembered the message he was holding.

"I carried a sign with me that said, 'Anything is possible,'" Kempel said. "I repeat that phrase all the time — and it seems to be working. The other day, my daughter was like, 'I can't lift this,' and then she stopped and said, 'Wait — anything is possible.'"

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Kempel, who is also dad to 7-year-old Savannah and 5-year-old Avery, ran a full marathon with his quintuplets in 2019. This time around, Kempel said, "The kids were saying, 'Run faster, Dad!' They thought it was hilarious." He set Guinness World Records during both the marathon and half marathon, and joked that the only way he'd do it again is if Adam Busby of the TLC show OutDaughtered — another dad of quintuplets — decided to try to beat his record.