Man Runs Seven Marathons During a Seven-Night Princess Cruise

Most cruise passengers use a sea day to relax. Paul Manson spent his running 185 laps of Enchanted Princess.

Three-image collage showing Paul Manson running on the outdoor track aboard Enchanted Princess at sunset, Enchanted Princess sailing at sea, and Manson posing in front of the Colosseum in Rome during his seven-marathon Mediterranean cruise challenge. — Credit: The Random Runner

That was just one part of a week-long challenge that saw the Scottish trail runner complete marathon-distance runs every day of a seven-night Mediterranean cruise, using each port call as a new route and the ship itself when there was nowhere else to go.

Paul Manson Took on Seven Marathons During One Cruise

Scottish trail runner Paul Manson completed seven marathon-distance runs in seven consecutive days while sailing through the Mediterranean aboard Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess.

Manson, who shares his running challenges online as The Random Runner, took on the challenge in August 2026. Over the course of the week, he ran in Italy, Montenegro and Greece, as well as on the ship itself during a day at sea.

By the end of the cruise, he had covered 299.5 kilometers, or about 186 miles, with every run reaching at least marathon distance.

The Challenge Began Before He Even Boarded the Ship

Manson’s week began in Rome on August 4, before he boarded Enchanted Princess.

His first run covered 42.3 kilometers and took him past several of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, including the Colosseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. He also ran alongside the River Tiber as part of the route.

That opening marathon set the pattern for the rest of his “Run the Med” challenge: complete at least a marathon-distance run each day while making use of the destinations on the cruise itinerary.

He Ran a Marathon in Almost Every Port

After Rome, Manson continued the challenge as Enchanted Princess moved through the Mediterranean.

He ran 43.9 kilometers in Naples, followed by 42.6 kilometers in Kotor, Montenegro. In Greece, he completed 43 kilometers in Corfu and another 43 kilometers during the ship’s call at Katakolon, where his route took him through the Olympia area.

The runs also doubled as a way to explore each destination. Manson stopped to photograph landmarks and shared updates from the different stages of the challenge on social media.

The conditions varied from port to port, with heat, humidity and busy streets adding to the difficulty of completing marathon-distance runs on consecutive days.

The Sea Day Meant Running 185 Laps of Enchanted Princess

The cruise’s sea day created a very different problem. With no port to run through, Manson had to complete the day’s marathon entirely on board Enchanted Princess.

He used the jogging track on Deck 18, part of the ship’s Sky Deck, and ran 185 laps to reach 42.2 kilometers.

To keep track of the repeated circuits, he carried a hand clicker and used it to count each lap as he made his way around the deck.

Mount Etna Added a Very Different Challenge

The final 42.5-kilometer run was linked to Messina and Mount Etna in Sicily, where Manson faced very different conditions from the earlier stages of the week.

Part of the route included around 2,500 meters of running down the volcano. Footage he later shared showed him covered in sweat and volcanic ash by the end of the effort.

Paul Manson running across the dark volcanic landscape of Mount Etna in Sicily, wearing a cap, face covering, blue running shirt and hydration vest during his seven-marathon Mediterranean cruise challenge. — Credit: The Random Runner

“Looks like I’ve been working down in the mine,” he said afterward.

Manson later said he hadn’t realized the volcano was erupting at the time. After getting coated in ash during the run, he added that it was “nothing a jump in the sea didn’t sort out.”

He Finished Just Half a Kilometer Short of 300 Kilometers

Across the seven runs, Manson covered a total of 299.5 kilometers, leaving him just half a kilometer short of the 300-kilometer mark.

He described the shortfall as “mildly annoying,” after completing marathon-distance efforts on seven consecutive days while moving between destinations aboard Enchanted Princess.

“Not bad, not bad at all,” Manson said after finishing the challenge. “And what a week it was.”

Princess Cruises later acknowledged the achievement on its UK and EU media Instagram account, writing: “An incredible achievement and a unique way to explore the Mediterranean – well done Paul!”

More Footage From the Seven-Marathon Challenge Is Coming

Manson has also been working on a longer film documenting the full seven-marathon challenge.

Alongside that, he has shared shorter videos covering individual stages of the trip, as well as practical aspects such as route planning, hydration and how he managed the runs across the different destinations.