This Cruise Guest Ran a Marathon Every Single Day of His Sailing
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Scottish trail runner Paul Manson ran 7 marathons during a 7-night cruise aboard Enchanted Princess in August 2026.
He completed the first marathon in Rome the day he boarded the cruise ship and did additional marathon distances at every port.
One day was a marathon onboard the ship at sea with 185 laps on the jogging track on Deck 18.
Many cruise ships are equipped with fitness facilities and onboard jogging tracks, but it can be a joke that many cruisers add up more miles just walking around the ship than they ever would using the fitness equipment.
Adding up the miles is no joke to Scottish trail runner Paul Manson, better known as the Random Runner, however. His recent “Run the Med” challenge with Princess Cruises puts a bit of time on the jogging track to shame.
Manson does unique marathon and other running challenges to share on his Instagram page and YouTube, and one of his most recent was the goal of running seven marathons in seven days, all while on a Mediterranean cruise.
He undertook the ambitious feat onboard the Enchanted Princess, beginning on August 4, 2026 in Rome before boarding the ship. During the cruise, as the ship went from port to port, Manson planned out and completed marathon distances at each successive stop: Naples, Kotor, Corfu, Katakolon, and Messina (Sicily).
During the one day at sea, Manson completed 185 laps on the ship’s running track on Deck 18, the Sky Deck, using a hand clicker to keep track of the laps accurately.
“An incredible achievement and a unique way to explore the Mediterranean – well done Paul!” Princess Cruises posted on its UK and EU media Instagram page.
Manson posted each of his marathons to Instagram, as he stopped along the way to take pictures of top sights in the iconic cities.
In Rome, for example, his winding route took him past the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and the famous Trevi Fountain, along the River Tiber, and across historic bridges to add up to 42.3 kilometers (26.3 miles).
One of his most unique routes was the last marathon on the route, which included 2,500 meters running down the Mount Etna volcano. Manson shared a video showing just how coated with sweat and ash he was at the end of the trek.
“Looks like I’ve been working down in the mine,” he commented while catching his breath, later explaining that he didn’t know the volcano was actually erupting at the time.
He did say that the sticky, sweaty layer of ash was “nothing a jump in the sea didn’t sort out,” showing that he also indulged in other popular cruise activities.
How Far Did Manson Run in Total?
In total, Manson’s runs were 42.3 kilometers in Rome, 43.9 km in Naples, 42.2 km onboard Enchanted Princess, 42.6 km in Kotor (Montenegro), 43.0 in Corfu, 43.0 in Olympia (Katakolon), and 42.5 in Messina (Mt. Etna). In that week of marathons, Manson completed 299.5 kilometers (186 miles).
He described missing half a kilometer as “mildly annoying,” as that would also have been an interesting milestone for an already interesting achievement.
“Not bad, not bad at all,” he said. “And what a week it was.”
Videos Yet to Come
For cruisers inspired by Manson’s feat, he is planning what he describes as a “full feature length film” about the experience to be posted to his Instagram in the coming weeks, as he edits the footage and photos he took along the journey.
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Several shorter videos have already been posted showing the highlights of some of his stops, including some insights he shares about each one, such as proper planning, staying hydrated, and in general enjoying the route.
Crowds, heat, and high humidity made the challenge even harder, but Manson completed each marathon with a smile and always an appreciation for seeing new things and having the ability to explore the world in such a unique way, an attitude that should be shared by all who enjoy cruises.
This Cruise Guest Ran a Marathon Every Single Day of His Sailing