On Sunday, November 1, William Goodge crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon in 4:05:01. It was his 50th marathon in 50 states, and he finished the whole challenge in under 23 days.
More than 1,300 miles on foot is the part everyone sees. The part they don’t see is everything that happened between the finish lines: the 3:00 AM departures, the cabins turned into recovery rooms, the hours of sleep won back in the air. That’s where private aviation earns its place, and it’s why Magellan Jets was proud to support Will on Goodwin Generated: Mission America.
This is the story of how the right travel experience, at the right moment, helps people do things that have never been done before.
A Challenge Built on Logistics
Mission America asked Will to run a full 26.2 miles inside the lines of every U.S. state, starting in Honolulu on October 9 and finishing at the NYC Marathon on November 1. The goal was a Guinness World Record for the fastest time to run a marathon distance in all 50 states. He ran it in memory of his mother, Amanda, and to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer.
Some days meant up to three marathon distances. As Will told Men’s Health after the finish, when each marathon started depended on how long it took to get there. Every hour spent in transit was an hour taken from rest, so the time between marathons had to go to recovery, not airport lines, layovers, and delayed connections.
Albuquerque to Fort Worth: a Recovery Room with Wings
Magellan’s part in Mission America began in the middle of the night. Will finished his marathon in New Mexico and was due wheels up from Albuquerque’s private airport at 3:00 AM on a Challenger 350, bound for Fort Worth.
Our job was to turn that cabin into a recovery room. Before Will arrived, our team stocked it with NormaTec boots, massage guns, ice packs, electrolytes, blankets, pillows, and sleep masks, plus a hot meal waiting on board.
Will ran straight from the road onto the plane. Less than two hours later he landed in Fort Worth, where our greeter was waiting with piping hot Americanos for him and his team.
That night set the standard for every Magellan experience that followed. Will’s preferred brands were on board every time, and each experience was themed to the place he was running.
“An over and above service from start to finish. Thank you for being a big and essential part of the mission and record ”
— William Goodge on Instagram
Boston: Running Home to Fenway
On October 30, Mission America came to Magellan’s hometown, and we wanted to give Will a Boston moment no one else could. Through Magellan’s partnership with the Boston Red Sox, we opened the gates of Fenway Park for him. Will ran to Fenway with Anthony at his side and a group of Magellan runners in Magellan gear behind him, then took a lap of the warning track at one of the most iconic ballparks in the world.
Our team held signs and flew a Magellan flag to cheer the group in. Along the way, Anthony and Will talked about Boston pride, the Red Sox, and his recovery flight from Albuquerque to Fort Worth.
Then we fueled him the Boston way, with fresh sandwiches from the North End and Dunkin’.
“@magellanjets had the keys to the kingdom that is Fenway Park. As a sports fan I understand the gravity of being able to run around an iconic stadium like that.”
— William Goodge on Instagram
A Taste of New England, and the Send-off to New York
That afternoon, Will flew out of Magellan’s private terminal at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts, bound for Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We staged the terminal, laid the Magellan carpet outside the aircraft, and had blankets waiting on board. He walked in, boarded, and landed in New Hampshire less than an hour later.
Every stop had its own flavor. For New Hampshire, Will got rice bowls from a local café, lobster hats, and a spread of New England snacks. The next day, a midday flight took him from Portsmouth to Springfield, Vermont, with maple syrup and maple cookies on board.
That Saturday, October 31, the plan was for Will and his crew to drive to New York by RV and roll in at 3:00 AM on race day. Instead, Magellan flew him out of Springfield at 7:30 PM, and he landed at Teterboro before 9:00 PM with the whole night ahead to rest. This was the big send-off: a lobster roll and champagne, cookies overnighted from New York bakeries, and recovery gear. The goal was simple: get Will to the most important start line of the journey rested and ready to finish strong.
“The plans were to roll into NYC in our RV at 3am Sunday morning. @magellanjets changed those plans and [offered] us the greatest luxury of efficient travel <and> style. I just sat and had beers with my dad, brother and Robbie and couldn’t be happier or more ready for tomorrow. I will remain eternally grateful for their support over this challenge.”
— William Goodge on Instagram
The Finish at the New York City Marathon
On November 1, Will ran the NYC Marathon as his 50th and final marathon, finishing in 4:05:01 alongside a record field of more than 61,000 finishers. With it, he completed Mission America in under 23 days, the fastest anyone has run a marathon in every U.S. state.
That 4:05 came on legs that had already covered more than 1,300 miles in three weeks. Strong finishes like that are built in the hours between races, and we’re proud that some of those hours were spent in a Magellan experience.
Why Private Aviation Matters for People Chasing the Impossible
Will’s challenge was extreme, but the lesson applies to every elite athlete and every high performer. When the goal is ambitious, time and energy become the scarcest resources. Private aviation gives both back.
- You fly on your schedule. A 3:00 AM departure is just another departure, and the aircraft waits for you, not the other way around.
- Less time on your feet. Smaller airports and private terminals mean no long walks, security lines, or crowded gates.
- The cabin becomes a recovery space. There’s room to stretch, rest, and use recovery tools, in a quiet, private setting.
- Nutrition and rest on your terms. Meals, hydration, and sleep are planned around the athlete, not the airline.
- The whole team travels together. Coaches, crew, and support staff arrive at the same time, ready to work.
That’s true whether you’re running 50 marathons, chasing a championship, or building something that has never existed before. Magellan Jets offers On-Demand Charter, Jet Card, and Fractional and Whole Aircraft Ownership, so every journey is built around the person taking it.
Congratulations, Will. It was an honor to help you go the distance.
