Chicago Man Breaks World Record For Juggling A 50-Mile Ultra Marathon

Posted November 2nd, 2007 at 3:06 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Trail / Ultra

perry romanowski joggler juggling runner Chicago’s very own “joggler” Perry Romanowski broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest 50-mile ultra marathon done while juggling with the incredible time of 8 hours, 23 minutes, and 52 seconds. While accomplishing this feat at the Chicago Lakefront 50/50 ultra marathon, he managed to finish the entire distance with only 4 drops.

The sport of joggling was first invented in the early 1980s. Participants are required to continuously juggle 3 balls while running every step of the race. Guinness World Records rules state that if the joggler drops a ball, he must return to the drop point before continuing. The previous record for joggling a 50 mile ultra marathon of 8:52:07 was set by Ashrita Furman in 1989. In the Lakefront 50/50, Romanowski came in 16th place overall despite joggling the entire race.

Romanowski, a 38-year-old scientist at Alberto Culver, has completed 23 joggling marathons but this was his first ultra marathon. “I wasn’t fast enough to break the world record for shorter distances, so I figured I would try the 50 miler,” said Romanowski. “If you can’t go faster, go longer.”

Note: Romanowski was interviewed on TheFinalSprint.com Podcast, the most listened to podcast in North America, back on February 7, 2007. Click here to listen to the interview on-demand at no charge!

Earlier in the month, Romanowski completed his 10th Chicago Marathon joggling the entire way despite the high temperatures and humidity. “That race was tough but it prepared me for difficult task of joggling 50 miles,” said Romaonwski.

He first began joggling as a way to stand out in the crowd and make people smile. “Joggling is one of those things I just picked up,” says Romanowski, 38, a Bucktown resident. “I discovered I could do it in a marathon in 1996 and have joggled ever since.” You can follow his joggling experiences and get fitness advice at his popular blog www.justyouraveragejoggler.com.

The Chicago Lakefront 50/50 is one of the top ultra marathons in the Midwest. It attracts runners from around the country. This is the 6th year for the 50 mile distance.

For more information, please contact:

Perry Romanowski
http://justyouraveragejoggler.com
1617 N. Campbell, 3N
Chicago, Illinois
Email : thejoggler@gmail.com
Phone : 708-207-7642

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