HURRICANE — Running a 100-mile race is relatively common and entirely commendable.

Running 20 100-mile races is getting a little out there, but to each their own. Trekking 100 miles solo through the heart of Utah, fueling on gas station food may be pushing the envelope a bit, but sure, why not? Taking those 100 miles to the high school track in the middle of summer is enough to make your head spin just thinking about it. And then there’s racing 135 miles in Death Valley in “The world’s toughest footrace,” which is just mind-boggling.

Well, all of those amazing feats were accomplished by one man, and he may have just topped them all — by "running on water." On March 31, Cory Reese, of Hurricane, took his ultra-running legs and ran 100 miles on the Pacific Ocean — with a little help from the Ruby Princess cruise ship.

While on a seven-day cruise along the California Coast with friends and family, Reese used 27 hours and 47 minutes of his vacation — on the first day, no less — to run 100 miles around the deck of the ship.

Why would he subject himself to such lonely torture when he could be eating buffet food 24/7 while soaking in the sun? Well, according to Reese, it’s because he likes doing it.

“I realize this isn't what most people would prefer to do on vacation, but I enjoy running,” he said. “I get too antsy just sitting around the pool all day. I like to be moving. I definitely prefer running trails over running on flat surfaces, but this was a unique challenge and an unforgettable experience.”

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Hurricane man to make solo 100-mile run through 'heart of Utah'

When Southern Utah resident Cory Reese heads out for a run, he isn’t training for a 5k, 10k or even a marathon. Reese, known to many as “Fast Cory,” runs 100-mile races and is about to embark on his 10th 100-miler. This time, however, he will be doing it solo and unsupported.

And that experience didn’t ignore the fact that an all-you-can-eat buffet was present. In fact, according to his blog, it was part of his plan. “Thus far, none of the trail races I've done have had an all-you-can-eat ice cream machine at any aid stations,” Reese wrote.

But, it wasn’t just a steady stream of ice cream that would get him through his 100-mile journey. Reese said his wife, Melanie, and their three children, along with some friends, provided some much-needed support along the way.

With the route, fuel and cheering section all figured out, Reese set his body on cruise control and began running. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. It can get windy out there at sea, and according to Reese, it most definitely was windy.

“At 3:30 a.m., I was freezing cold and a fierce wind was tossing me around the track,” Reese wrote. “If you think a gale force headwind is miserable, don’t worry. In 20 feet, it will be a tailwind. Which will momentarily be blowing you sideways before becoming a ferocious headwind again.”

It wasn’t just the wind that presented some challenges on this already difficult journey. Around the same time that the winds threatened to blow him overboard, a member of the crew was swabbing the deck, forcing Reese to succumb to miles up and down the hallways.

Reese, who is a licensed clinical social worker and author, joked that it was helpful that he was able to give himself therapy for the trauma he was putting himself through.

When asked what other people on the cruise had to say about his journey atop the ship, he said he didn’t have many people ask, and when they did, he didn’t make a big deal about it.

“I didn’t want to make a big scene about it,” Reese said. “The group of people we went with knew I was hoping to run 100 miles so they were awesome about bringing food or drinks up to the deck every once in a while. I tried to get permission from the cruise line and sent a few messages but never heard anything back. I can’t say I blame them. They are focused on making sure people have good vacations and probably don’t concern themselves with silly stuff like this. I’m sure they saw my messages, rolled their eyes, and then moved the messages to the trash bin.”

While Reese may not have anyone other than his family and friends to vouch for him completing his run on water, his Garmin data has the miles tracked for all to know that he did, in fact, go the distance. Even the GPS app, Strava, not only shows the miles, but if you look at the map itself, it appears as if he did run on water.

As for the rest of his trip, Reese said that it went off without a hitch; although, he had slightly sore legs that he said were ironed out after enjoying a walk to Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Diego, Ensenada, Monterey, and then exploring Muir Woods.

And while he will not likely run 100 miles on a cruise ship again, “Fast Cory” as his friends call him, will hit that 100-mile mark again. It’s just a matter of where he'll run next.

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