Marathon at sea?

Many of us have run on cruise ships, but has anyone run a marathon on one? This guy did!
http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/blog/?p=4100

Ah, had I known it had never been done, I would have done it on my cruise in June. I did 3 hours of running laps on deck but wasnt counting so I don't know exact distance. I probably only needed to go another 4 or so miles and I would have completed the first ever marathon at sea. I think I might have to shoot for a new world record next time I'm on a boat. I like that the Princess has a 600M track. The Disney one is 533M (3 lapss to a mile) and that's pretty big. I'm surprised there are even bigger shipboard tracks.

When you think about how big a standard 400m track is, that's one hell of a big boat to have one 600m!

We are doing a cruise on one of the huge new Royal Caribbean ships in March. I intend to get in some runs. I do not intend to run 26 miles. Not at one time anyway.

Oh, I have to imagine that it's been done before... just not publicized. For instance: http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/how-to-run-262-miles-on-the-open-sea/

Funny thing is I brought the idea of creating a marathon at sea to a race director friend of mine not to long ago. I don't think this was an official race I'd like to see one created.

I have no comment - just wondering why Jerry has yet to flame this thread too.

Jack_Scaff wrote:I have no comment - just wondering why Jerry has yet to flame this thread too.

A question that comes to mind for me is how Dramamine affects your stomach when running a marathon?

[quote="Mr MattM"]Oh, I have to imagine that it's been done before... just not publicized. For instance: http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/how-to-run-262-miles-on-the-open-sea/[/quote]



That guy sure had an interesting site. I just lost about an hour of my day wandering through his posts.

Jack_Scaff wrote:I have no comment - just wondering why Jerry has yet to flame this thread too.

Jerry is busy researching leg shaving options for his incoming races.

Jerry wrote:

Jack_Scaff wrote:I have no comment - just wondering why Jerry has yet to flame this thread too.

Jerry is busy researching leg shaving options for his incoming races.

Hire one of those goat herds that people use as a trendy, eco-friendly way to get rid of weeds or clear fields.

The crazy thing about running a marathon on a ship that is underway is what happens to your Garmin. The pacing/distance data is going to look pretty screwy if you're running laps around a ship that's motoring along at 18 knots. Just imagine what the map would look like!

Mark B wrote:The crazy thing about running a marathon on a ship that is underway is what happens to your Garmin. The pacing/distance data is going to look pretty screwy if you're running laps around a ship that's motoring along at 18 knots. Just imagine what the map would look like!

Very true. I'm sure I have uploaded a few of those crazy maps to Google Earth and Garmin Connect. In fact...

[img][/img]

As you can see, Garmin shows I went 11 miles in 34:00, instead of 27 times around a small oval track.

Wow, nice pace!

It would have been faster, of course, if you didn't have to run uphill 93 feet on the ocean.

Or if part of it hadn't been under 3 feet of water!

I think it was done some years ago when a group that went to run the Antarctica marathon couldn't disembark and so just ran their marathon on the ship.

My favorite part is the straight line on the map. Usually, if you run a track you see the ovals, but not on a moving ship. All I remember is that it was a hot, windy, unfun, run.

Natalie, why did you bring Garmin to a cruise, in case the ship's navigation system broke and you be the hero to bring everyone home with it?

Jerry wrote:Natalie, why did you bring Garmin to a cruise, in case the ship's navigation system broke and you be the hero to bring everyone home with it?

Creature of habit. For running I need: shoes, socks, shorts, sports bra, shirt, hat/headband, Garmin.

I did 20 on a cruise ship treadmill. The track was too small and crowded to run outdoors. Plus, we were in Alaska.