Joe Gagnon is planning six marathons on six continents in six days, flying economy

JOE is about to run six marathons in six days on six continents, living on peanut butter sandwiches and ice cream. Oh, and he’s flying economy the whole way.

Joe Gagnon is planning an extreme adventure: Six marathons on six days on six different continents.

ONE marathon is enough for most but imagine running six of them in six days back to back, on six different continents.

How about adding into the mix flying economy between each race, and nothing more to sustain your strides but peanut butter and jam sandwiches, along with some ice cream.

Sound crazy? Well runner Joe Gagnon is planning to do just that — kicking off this epic challenge in Sydney in April.

As well as running a distance of over 42km every day, there will be no flat beds and champagne, his only respite will be lying in the aisle with his feet in the air.

Joe, 56, says he likes to make himself feel uncomfortable as it pushes him: “I am always putting myself in circumstances that make you feel odd and uncomfortable, it actually makes things happen inside you that wouldn’t happen otherwise.”

There is no doubt he will be feeling that when he hotfoots it to the airport and settles down in his coach class seat.

And boy does Joe know it, saying: “That will hurt my soul more than running.”

However, he intends to get some sleep on the plane, somehow: “I have an aisle seat on every flight. I will have to drink a lot of fluids on the plane.

“When you go into this unknown territory you hope for the best. The biggest issue is the air pressure and the fluid pooling in your legs.”

While many might raise an eyebrow at his decision to fly economy, he says: “Making it easy for ourselves seems to be the way to live.

“My philosophy is I want to feel more. You develop more, emotionally as well as intellectually and physically.”

Joe Gagnon with his two grown up daughters.

A vegetarian, he also isn’t going to be partaking in too much of the plane food to keep up his energy levels either.

Instead he intends to follow his own diet: “I have trained my body to cope with modest amounts of calories.

“I am always eating less but I don’t lose any weight, which proves you only need modest amount of food.

“For breakfast I have Greek yoghurt or eggs and bran cereal, lunch it’s peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Mid-afternoon I have an energy bar.

“And then for dinner it’s vegetables some other form of plant based protein.

“The day before a race I’ll have ice cream.”

The father of two is kicking off his epic run at The Sydney Harbour Bridge on April 10.

His route will take him from the Bridge, around the bay up to Macquarie Point, along to Centennial Park for a few loops, then back to his start point.

Next it’s straight to the airport and off to his next destination — Singapore.

Then he hits up Johannesburg, South Africa, on to London, in the UK, next stop is Sao Paulo, and then finally Venice Beach, LA where he completes his effort.

Unsurprisingly, Joe plans to travel light with only two pairs of trainers, one pair of pants — a pair for when he isn’t running, and a change of clothes for every day.

He’ll keep it all in a backpack and won’t shave for a week.

Joe, who works as an executive for a software company, says he was inspired to do his marathon attempts after seeing the Seven Continent Challenge.

But he wanted to do something by himself, and didn’t want a $50,000 price tag: “Each year I set out a new challenge for myself, to test the physical and mental faculties that I have.

“I thought about the things which I like and do, which are flying and running. And then I thought, I wonder if I could do it myself?’”

He spent six months on the logistics and when people told him it sounded crazy it made him more determined: “We can do more than we think we can.

“I like the stronger together idea — there is a lot of divisiveness in the world right now, in governments and people.

“My dad was a social worker, his care for people, my love for the world, and running, put it all together and it’s a great opportunity to have a great experience.”

He is also running for the organisation called ChimeIn where he is an adviser.

Joe, who lives in the US, and also works as motivational speaker, says it is fear that often stops people reaching for their dreams: “We never reach inside ourselves to see what’s really there. Can you do more? We can do more than we think we can — but you have to be willing to go places, not just visiting people and countries — inside yourself, ask yourself what are you afraid of?”

So is anyone in his family game enough to join him for the ride?

Joe’s two daughters, Julianne, 25, Kimberley, 22, and wife Anthea, 55, appear to have thought better of it.

But he isn’t worried about them not being there to lend moral support.

He said: “I think they are used to this. We have a life called highly cooperative and very independent.

“When we are together we have a great time, but most of the time we are not. I think it as different but we enjoy it this way.”

Jo is raising money to support the education of young people in developing countries who can’t afford an education. For more information or to make a donation visit www.ChimeIn.org/ProjectBrightLight