Booze Cruises: Out … Running Cruises: In

Relax and run while you’re vacationing on the high seas.

Written by: Linzay Logan

This piece first appeared in the June issue of Competitor Magazine.

Vacationing aboard a cruise ship is a great way to relax and eat ‘till you pop, but getting in a run is about impossible—until now. Running cruise vacation packages allow you to relax at night while running on a Caribbean island or through the vineyards of Tuscany by day.

Six years ago race director Jerry Friesen created Cruise to Run. “It was a brain child of mine because my wife had always wanted to go on a cruise and I knew I was going to be stuck on a ship eating and drinking without any chance to run,” Friesen said. Cruise to Run takes one voyage every year aboard the Caribbean Princess; passengers can run seven events, from a 5K to a 13K, and even a hash run, in five different countries in five days.

An avid runner, and Competitor running columnist, John Bingham, also recognized the draw of the run-cruise and created Runner’s Cruises, which sail the Caribbean and Alaska twice a year, and take runners on a total of 26.2 miles over the course of a week.

“We get off the boat with numbers on our chests while everyone else is going to Margaritaville to get liquored up,” Bingham said. Book one of the designated cruises and register for races for an additional $195 to $250. Runningcruise.com; Cruisetorun.com

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