If someone set out to visit places in all 50 states and all seven continents, that would be pretty crazy, right?
So what if we told you Randy and Val Maugle not only dropped by all 57 locales but either ran a marathon or a half-marathon in each of them?
Bet we have your attention now.
That’s what the Doylestown couple has been doing for much of the past eight years.
Making the feat even that much more impressive, after finishing the entire seven-continent/26.2-milers challenge, Randy underwent both hip and knee replacement surgeries and then ran the half-marathon on all seven continents.
Now that’s really impressive.
It’s the sense of adventure and the desire to see as much of this world as possible which continues to drive this twosome.
Their next quest: A rigorous race down in Peru, where the weather and the wildlife should make for a rather unique experience.
Randy, 70, a former teacher and still employed as an assistant running coach at Council Rock South High School, has completed 70 marathons, most recently the London event.
He might have done the seven-continent full marathon journey again if not for all the medical stuff.
Discretion, as the overused saying goes, was the better part of valor.
“I just decided to do the half-marathons,” he said in a telephone interview. “I started in 2018 and we just finished in Rio (de Janeiro) this past June.”
Val, 69, an elementary school teacher for many years in the Council Rock system, has run 96 half-marathons. She said there were several original factors for doing this world tour.
“We love to travel,” she said. “We love adventure. When we started running in 1999 at the Philadelphia Marathon, we just kept going forward. And we haven’t looked back.
“It’s been just one great adventure. We’ve circumnavigated the world twice doing this.”
She’s done a half-marathon in all 50 states plus all seven continents twice since 2018. And she’s just two continents away from completing the circuit a third time.
That’s a lot of airline and hotel points.
The logistics and planning for these experiences has been staggering.
“It was totally around the teaching schedule,” Randy explained. “As soon as we saw what the new calendar was for the coming year at Council Rock, we immediately started to compare and contrast where we would go.
“If there was a long weekend, we would get another marathon or half-marathon in.”
When people walk up to the Maugles and ask them why they do this, there’s always a chuckle or two.
“The wise-ass answer is it keeps me off the streets,” Randy said. “The reality is, it’s far from doing that. It’s a life choice that we decided on, she more than me. And we’re still carrying through with it.
“It’s something where we got an email blast a couple weeks ago about a half-marathon in the Peruvian Amazon. We’re looking into it. If it becomes (favorable), we’re probably going to go.”
Peru might end up being a milestone for Val because that would be her 100th 13.1-miler.
“Not that I’m going to stop,” she said with a laugh. “The world is big. There’s so much out there. Life is just one big adventure. You just have to step into it, enjoy it. People are great. Does it take money? Yes. But you can navigate around that.”
A lot of motivation for the Maugles comes from staying active in local running. They are members of the Bucks County Roadrunners Club, take part in the fabled Winter Series and also participate in the popular Bucks 5K Series in the spring.
“They’re great training sessions,” Val said. “It’s great to be out there with other people. Friends we’ve met have become dear to us over the years.
“All of it helps. Running by yourself is great but it’s also great to have someone to encourage you. And that’s what the Winter Series and the Bucks 5K Series do. Just brings people together.”
>Race calendar
Sunday
BCRR Winter Series Wild Card (4 to 6 miles), 9 a.m., Tyler State Park, Newtown. Contact www.bcrrclub.com
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