Marathon man: Tim Peake has become the second astronaut to have completed a marathon in space / Shutterstock / Mike Browne
On 24 April 2016, astronaut Tim Peake – resident on the International Space Station (ISS) since December 2015 – ran the London Marathon.
That is, he ran it on a treadmill in the Space Station at the same time the event was taking place on the ground in London. His goal: to raise awareness of The Prince’s Trust – a UK charity for the young – which itself had a team running on the ground, dubbed Team Astronaut.
“As soon as I got assigned to my mission, I thought: Wouldn’t it be great to run onboard the ISS,” Peake told the Guardian newspaper. “The London Marathon is a worldwide event. I wanted to take it out of this world!”
An additional layer of connection to the event was provided by the RunSocial app on his iPad, which showed Peake video footage of the streets of London all the way along the route. The app plays back the footage to match the speed of each individual’s run, so when Peake’s treadmill slowed during the race, so did the playback.
Not only that, but everyone who uses RunSocial has an avatar, meaning anyone who virtually ran the marathon on the same day might have seen Peake along the virtual route – a special European Space Agency suit was designed for his avatar to make it stand out.
Peake had already run the London Marathon – his feet firmly on Earth – in 1999, completing the race in a time of three hours 18 minutes. His target for 2016 was less ambitious: he’d been aiming for anywhere between three and a half and four hours. In the event, he completed the 26 miles and 385 yards in three hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds – during which time the ISS had travelled more than twice around the planet. This makes him the Guinness World Record holder for running a marathon in space.
Although slower than his original London marathon run, his 2016 time was itself a feat given the need to wear a heavy harness, resembling a rucksack, for the whole run to avoid floating off the treadmill in the reduced gravity of the Space Station.
The first person to have run a marathon in space was NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who ran the Boston Marathon while on board the ISS in 2007.
Marathon man: Tim Peake has become the second astronaut to have completed a marathon in space / Shutterstock / Mike Browne
On 24 April 2016, astronaut Tim Peake – resident on the International Space Station (ISS) since December 2015 – ran the London Marathon.
That is, he ran it on a treadmill in the Space Station at the same time the event was taking place on the ground in London. His goal: to raise awareness of The Prince’s Trust – a UK charity for the young – which itself had a team running on the ground, dubbed Team Astronaut.
“As soon as I got assigned to my mission, I thought: Wouldn’t it be great to run onboard the ISS,” Peake told the Guardian newspaper. “The London Marathon is a worldwide event. I wanted to take it out of this world!”
An additional layer of connection to the event was provided by the RunSocial app on his iPad, which showed Peake video footage of the streets of London all the way along the route. The app plays back the footage to match the speed of each individual’s run, so when Peake’s treadmill slowed during the race, so did the playback.
Not only that, but everyone who uses RunSocial has an avatar, meaning anyone who virtually ran the marathon on the same day might have seen Peake along the virtual route – a special European Space Agency suit was designed for his avatar to make it stand out.
Peake had already run the London Marathon – his feet firmly on Earth – in 1999, completing the race in a time of three hours 18 minutes. His target for 2016 was less ambitious: he’d been aiming for anywhere between three and a half and four hours. In the event, he completed the 26 miles and 385 yards in three hours, 35 minutes and 21 seconds – during which time the ISS had travelled more than twice around the planet. This makes him the Guinness World Record holder for running a marathon in space.
Although slower than his original London marathon run, his 2016 time was itself a feat given the need to wear a heavy harness, resembling a rucksack, for the whole run to avoid floating off the treadmill in the reduced gravity of the Space Station.
The first person to have run a marathon in space was NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who ran the Boston Marathon while on board the ISS in 2007.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
QubicaAMF UK QubicaAMF is the largest and most
innovative bowling equipment provider with
600 employees worldwi [more...]
TechnoAlpin Indoor TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. With the Indoor snow division, TechnoAlpin c [more...]
Taylor Made Designs Founded in 1993, Taylor Made
Designs supply corporate clothing
and brand-enhancing merchandise
to [more...]
