Mike Turner, 77, aqua jogged 36.7 miles in the Hungry Horse Reservoir to raise money for a new vehicle for Dickey Lake Bible Camp in Trego, Montana, according to KPAX.
The Fellowship Alliance Church deacon got into the reservoir on July 12, and over the course of 10 days and 47 hours, he aqua jogged along the coastline in increments, towing a float with Hammer nutrition, homemade sandwiches, and plenty of water.
Aqua jogging, a popular cross training exercise, involves running in the water, buoyed with a special flotation device.
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Turner was working as a cook at the camp, and it was evident the camp needed a new vehicle to haul garbage, according to Turner’s GoFundMe.
“He was struck by the rough state of the camp truck. Before making a garbage run, he was told not to worry, someone would come for him if the camp truck broke down,” the fundraising page reads.
Turner had wanted to aqua jog the coastline of the reservoir for some 25 years, according to KPAX.
“My wife and I were camping up at Emery Bay, and I decided then I said I’d like to aqua jog the whole entire shoreline—which would be 173 miles—which I’m too old for that now,” Turner told KPAX. “So, then life happened. And then she got sick, life happened, it didn’t get done. And she passed away seven years ago, and so I have the time now to do it. And so thats why I’m doing this.”
Turner anticipated the run would take 10 to 14 days—44 miles, at a pace of 1:40 hours per mile.
He raised more than $8,000 of his $30,000 goal. According to the fundraising page, any excess funds would go toward a grassroots group that provides food and serves the Tarahumara people in the Copper Canyon—a group highlighted in Christopher McDougall’s 2009 book Born to Run.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a seven-time marathoner with a best of 3:31—but she is most proud of her 1:32 half, 19:44 5K, and 5:33 mile. Her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Popular Mechanics, The Wall Street Journal Buy Side, Cooking Light, CNN, Glamour, The Associated Press, and Livestrong.com.
