In The Loop Travel
  • Home
  • Destinations
    • The Americas
    • Caribbean
    • Mexico
    • Europe
    • Asia/Pacific
    • Africa
  • Fitness
  • Cruising
  • Travel Tips
  • Videos
  • Work With Us
  • My Work
  • About
  • Colorado Craft Brewery Guide
  • Media Kit
  • TBIN Influencer Network

Runner's Goal: A Marathon on All 27 Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships

11/3/2016

9 Comments

 
Picture
Oasis of the Seas is one of two Royal Caribbean ships remaining for Joe Church to run a marathon distance.
By John Roberts 

As I've been saying for years now, the passions of the fitness and travel community quite often intersect. People driven to get out and enjoy the wonderful experiences the world has to offer are quite often the same type who push themselves in the gym or on the running track to stay in shape and meet certain goals or challenges. 

And sometimes just telling the story of one such person brings forward others who are willing to share their similarly amazing tales.   

I wrote recently about how ultra-runner Dane Rauschenberg is planning to run a marathon on Crystal Serenity. Crystal Cruises says this will be the first official marathon at sea and is working to get the run certified by the USA Track and Field organization and even recognized by Guinness World Records. 

When my articles about Dane hit the Internet, it shook free a few more stories of avid runners who also have run marathon distances on cruise ships. The best part of these runners is why they have done so. I learned about Steve Eaton, a British runner who ran a marathon on Princess Cruises' Grand Princess in 2011 in 5 hours, 16 minutes, as part of a charity effort called Help for Heroes for wounded military members.  

Also, Sean Tolkin of the United States ran a marathon for charity onboard Norwegian Breakaway in 2013, raising almost $50,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, while finishing the run in 3 hours, 43 minutes. 

But Joe Church of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, tops them all with his cruise ship running exploits. Joe was a reluctant cruiser who worried that he would gain to much weight during a sailing because of all the enticing food available (I can attest that this is a legitimate concern). But his wife convinced him to go on his first Royal Caribbean Cruises sailing in 2008, and almost nine years later, Joe, a retired 64-year-old who was a director of financial management for a Pennsylvania state agency, is just two ships away from having run a marathon on all 27 of the ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet. 
Joe Church runs the Ironman TriathlonJoe Church running the Ironman Triathlon
It's best for me to let Joe tell you all about how this all went down. 
                  ---------------------------
I started running them (his personal cruise ship marathons) because of my late wife.  

She had cruised a few times with her sisters and kept pushing me to go on one. I did not like the idea of going on board and putting on weight, but she told me the ships she had been on all had running tracks.  

So I agreed, with the statement: "I will go and run a marathon the first night, and then I will eat whatever I want for the rest of the trip."  

So in January 2008, we boarded the Liberty of the Seas, and at 1 a.m., I got out of bed and ran 118 laps around the ship. It took me 4 hours, 44 minutes.  

Over the next couple years we took a few more cruises on Royal Caribbean, and each time I ran a marathon, mostly on the first night. It was when we learned that Royal Caribbean was moving the Monarch of the Seas to one of their other lines that I decided I would see if I could run one on all of the "of the Seas."  

At first it was only one or two ships a year. But then I retired, and shortly after that, my wife passed away. Since the beginning of 2014, I have run one on 16 ships.  

I ran track when I was in high school, but later -- when I joined the Army -- running became a chore rather than fun, so I stopped. When I turned 50, I realized I was overweight and out of shape and I decided to do something about it. I tried different exercise programs, and they helped, but one day I decided to try running a loop near my house.  

It was three miles, and my first goal was to be able to run it without stopping. It took a couple weeks, but I found I really enjoyed running. In 2005, I ran my first official marathon. I have now run 70 of them. I have run one in all 50 states, all seven continents and recently running them in more foreign countries. I've also run 100 miles around a track, and at the age of 61, finished an Ironman Triathlon.  

The most challenging (cruise ship run) was the Radiance of the Seas. We were on an Alaska cruise. The temperature was in the low 40s, the apparent wind was 50+ knots -- and off and on there was a stinging rain. My favorite ship(s) to run on have been the Oasis-class ships because the running deck is on the fifth deck where it is sheltered and you aren't having to avoid a lot of people like you do on the upper decks.  

I have run the Allure and the Harmony during the day because I don't need to worry about a crowded track. The length of time to run the 26.2 miles varies greatly. The two biggest factors are the weather, particularly the winds, and the length of the track, which translates into the number of turns you must make. My fastest was 4:11 and slowest was 5:23.   

Fellow passengers and more often, crew, will notice I've been out there running for a long time and will ask me what I am up to. One of my favorite stories was when I ran on the Adventure of the Seas. It was about 2 a.m. and there were a few couples sitting in the hot tub on the deck below. After I had run a few laps, they yelled up to me asking what I was doing. I told them I was running 26.3 miles, or 141 laps. They asked what lap I was on, and I told them.  

They then began to count down each lap as I ran it. They sat in the hot tub for about four hours while I ran, and when I reached the last lap, they all jumped up and cheered, and then they headed to bed.  

I don't really celebrate after finishing one, but I do spend I next day or two relaxing and then take walks around the ports or the deck to keep loose.  

The two remaining ships are Oasis of the Seas, which I will board on November 27 at Cape Canaveral, and Rhapsody of the Seas on December 10 in Tampa. I had set a goal of getting them all finished by my 65th birthday which will be in February.  

One question people have asked me is whether I will continue to run them on more ships. 
I think as more ships are added to the Royal Caribbean fleet, I will probably get on board and run, but I won't feel compelled to do it within a timeframe. 

                                                ---------------------------

Awesomely inspirational! Thanks for sharing your story Joe.  

Now, we have no reason not to be able to get up for a quick morning workout or walk around the track to get our days started on our cruises. And I bet we'll all think twice about using those elevators to go up two floors, too. 

T
hanks for reading, and always travel happy! 

JR

Subscribe today to get the latest reviews, tips and tricks to help you have your best adventure ever.

9 Comments
Denise Bridges
11/8/2016 09:31:23 am

WOW! What an amazing and inspirational story.

Reply
JR
11/8/2016 11:32:30 am

I know, Denise. Tires me out just thinking about it.
Cheers!
JR

Reply
Mary Lou Harris link
11/10/2016 09:55:47 pm

What a commitment. Joe Church is nothing short of incredible.

Reply
JR
11/17/2016 12:00:53 pm

I agree Mary Lou. What ever happened to relaxing on vacation? Hahaha. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Cheers -- JR

Reply
RunGrantRun
3/25/2017 02:29:49 pm

I just ran 2 treadmill marathons on the Holland America Eurodam this past week, 3 days apart. The second one, sub-3:11, was a BQ time. No witnesses per se, but I video recorded the full time of both. I just run for myself. No charities, just so I can eat like a fat-arse. Selfish bastard, I suppose. ;-) Just wanted to put that out there.

Reply
JR
3/25/2017 06:23:42 pm

That's amazing Grant. Two? Why two?! Good job. Were people wondering why you were hogging the treadmill? Haha. Seriously, amazing feat. I know what you mean. I always work out hard so I can indulge on food and beer when I cruise. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Best,
JR

Reply
weebly
3/29/2017 09:58:07 am

weebly test

Reply
RunGrantRun
3/25/2017 07:42:53 pm

Why? Because two is better than one! Because we had two at-sea days! This ship had no jogging track, one deck that encircled the ship that was designated as a walking "track" but running was prohibited, and my request for an exception to that rule was denied. So I felt like I should go beyond just one, especially since I consider the treadmill easier than outside.

Reply
JR
3/26/2017 10:25:28 am

Great job. Most I have run on a cruise ship is about five miles. Cheers and happy traveling.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    AIDA Cruises
    Alaska
    Albatros Expeditions
    Alicante
    AmaWaterways
    Amber Cove
    American Queen Steamboat Company
    American Queen Voyages
    Amsterdam
    Antarctica
    Antigua
    Arctic
    Arizona
    Aruba
    Asia
    Atlas Ocean Voyages
    Australia
    Austria
    Avalon Waterways
    Backroads
    Bahamas
    Barbados
    Barcelona
    Belize
    Blue World Voyages
    Bonaire
    Bora Bora
    Brooklyn
    Budapest
    Burma
    Cabo San Lucas
    Cadiz
    California
    Cambodia
    Cancun
    Caribbean
    Carnival Cruise
    Celebrity Cruises
    Celestyal Cruises
    Christmas Markets
    Cologne
    Colombia
    Colorado
    Corfu
    Costa Rica
    Cozumel
    Craft Beer
    Croatia
    Crystal Cruises
    Cuba
    Curacao
    Dominican Republic
    Dubrovnik
    Egypt
    Emerald Cruises
    Emerald Waterways
    Europe
    Expat Life
    Explora Journeys
    Fathom Travel
    Fitness
    Florida
    Fort Lauderdale
    France
    French Polynesia
    Galapagos
    Galveston
    Germany
    Grand Cayman
    Greece
    Grenada
    Guatemala
    Halifax
    Harmony Of The Seas
    Hawaii
    High Line Park
    Hiking
    Holland America
    Hong Kong
    Houston
    Hungary
    Ibiza
    Iceland
    Isla Mujeres
    Italy
    Jim Thorpe
    Key West
    Kotor
    Labadee
    Lake Minnewaska
    Las Vegas
    Lisbon
    Lithuania
    London
    London Eye
    Maine
    Malaga
    Mexico
    Miami
    Minnesota
    Mississippi River
    Monte Carlo
    Montenegro
    Monterey
    Montreal
    Moorea
    MSC Cruises
    MSC Divina
    Netherlands
    Newfoundland
    New Jersey
    New Orleans
    New York
    New York City
    New Zealand
    North Carolina
    Norway
    Norwegian Cruise Line
    Nuremberg
    Oceania Cruises
    Oregon
    Orlando
    Panama
    Panama Canal
    Passau
    Paul Gauguin
    Paul Gauguin Cruises
    Pennsylvania
    Philadelphia
    Pickleball
    Ponant
    Portugal
    Prague
    Princess Cruises
    Puerto-rico
    Queens
    Regensburg
    Regent Seven Seas
    Rome
    Royal Caribbean
    Saint-Tropez
    San Francisco
    Santorini
    Scenic Cruises
    Scottsdale
    Seabourn
    SeaDream Yacht Club
    Sicily
    Silversea
    Sintra
    Sorrento
    Spain
    Star Clippers
    St. Maarten
    St. Thomas
    Symphony Of The Seas
    Tahiti
    Travel Gear
    Travel Tips
    Tunisia
    Turkey
    Turks And Caicos
    UnCruise
    Un-Cruise Adventures
    UnCruise Adventures
    Universal's Islands Of Adventure
    Uniworld
    Utah
    Utica
    Utica Boilermaker 15K
    Vienna
    Vietnam
    Viking Cruises
    Washington
    Windstar Cruises
    Wisconsin

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2013 | All rights reserved | Ewing, New Jersey.
Contact | About | Media Kit