Scottish trail runner Paul Manson completed seven marathon-distance runs in seven days during a Mediterranean sailing aboard Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess, covering almost 300 kilometres across ports and the ship itself.
Manson, who shares his running challenges online as the Random Runner, undertook the “Run the Med” challenge during the cruise in August 2026. His runs took him through destinations in Italy, Montenegro and Greece, while the itinerary’s sea day required a very different approach.
Across the week, Manson recorded 299.5 kilometres, equivalent to approximately 186 miles, with each day involving at least a marathon-distance run.
His challenge began in Rome on 4th August, before he boarded Enchanted Princess. The 42.3-kilometre route took him past several of the Italian capital’s best-known landmarks, including the Colosseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, as well as alongside the River Tiber.
As Enchanted Princess continued through the Mediterranean, Manson completed further marathon distances at Naples, Kotor in Montenegro, Corfu, Katakolon and Messina.
Princess Cruises later acknowledged the challenge on its UK and EU media Instagram account, writing: “An incredible achievement and a unique way to explore the Mediterranean – well done Paul!”
A Marathon At Sea
The cruise’s sea day presented Manson with the unusual problem of completing an entire marathon without a port in which to run.
Instead, he used the jogging track on Deck 18 of Enchanted Princess, completing 185 laps to reach 42.2 kilometres. He used a hand clicker to keep count as he repeatedly circled the ship’s Sky Deck.
It was one of seven individual runs making up the challenge. Manson covered 42.3 kilometres in Rome and 43.9 kilometres in Naples, followed by the 42.2-kilometre shipboard marathon.
He subsequently ran 42.6 kilometres in Kotor, 43 kilometres in Corfu and another 43 kilometres during the ship’s Katakolon call, when he ran in the Olympia area.
The final 42.5-kilometre effort was associated with Messina and Mount Etna in Sicily. That route included 2,500 metres running down the volcano, with Manson later sharing footage showing himself covered in sweat and volcanic ash.
“Looks like I’ve been working down in the mine,” he commented after the run.
Manson later said he had not known the volcano was erupting at the time. After becoming coated in ash during the run, he added that it was “nothing a jump in the sea didn’t sort out.”
Nearly 300 Kilometres In One Week
The seven runs brought Manson’s total distance to 299.5 kilometres, leaving him just half a kilometre short of the 300-kilometre mark.
He described that shortfall as “mildly annoying,” although it did little to diminish the scale of a challenge that required him to complete marathon distances on seven consecutive days while moving between destinations aboard a cruise ship.
“Not bad, not bad at all,” Manson said after completing the challenge. “And what a week it was.”
His routes also doubled as sightseeing runs. During the week, Manson stopped to photograph landmarks and shared updates from the different destinations on social media.
Conditions added to the physical demands, with heat, humidity and crowds among the challenges encountered during the Mediterranean runs.
Manson has also been working on a longer film documenting the seven-marathon challenge, alongside shorter videos covering individual stages of the trip and aspects of planning, hydration and completing the routes.
NEW DEALS JUST RELEASED!
See the latest Princess Cruises offers…
