He’s going the distance

For Newport Beach resident Joe Taricani, life is one big marathon.

Seriously.

The 53-year-old is encouraging participants at the Oasis Senior Center, part of the Newport Beach Recreation & Senior Services Department, to get out and move by web streaming his first treadmill marathon at 7 a.m. Tuesday at the Oasis Fitness Center, 801 Narcissus Ave., in Corona del Mar.

“They said they wanted to promote fitness, and I said, ‘I’ll bring my show in and do [a marathon on a treadmill] live,’” Taricani said.

The event, which Taricani will be broadcasted on his Web show, “The Marathon Show,” is part of the center’s April Marathon Challenge, which encourages seniors to accumulate the mileage of a marathon by walking every day, either outside or using the center’s equipment.

Taricani, who has done a little more than 30 marathons in his lifetime, has run about 16 miles on a treadmill before, but never marathon distance, about 26.2 miles.

“I’ll have to manage the perspiration and running inside will be a little warmer,” he said with a chuckle.

He expects it to take him about five hours and 20 minutes, he said.

Taricani will run and walk the miles, chat with fitness members there, talk about running an outdoor marathon and give away close to $3,000 in products from sponsors.

“Marathon running is a sport that people are getting into,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle choice, not a bucket list thing anymore. People are not leaving the sport like they used to because there is a social element to it ... now people are getting to know others all over the world.”

“The Marathon Show,” which can be found through iTunes and through Taricani’s website, https://www.themarathonshow.com, is done on a weekly basis, and counts about 35,000 followers, he said.

Each episode features Taricani doing numerous things: running a marathon, interviewing people, and providing humorous fodder and his own encouragement and tips for those interested in marathons, those already running them and those thinking about doing one.

“Everything about my show is fun,” he said. “It celebrates life, and I just think a marathon is a celebration of life.”

During the week, he trains by running about four to six miles a day, three to four times a week. He does about 12 to 15 marathons a year, or one per month, which he calls his “long distance training.”

“I will tell you, crossing that finish line changes people’s lives,” he said. “Getting that medal hung around your neck ... it just means you’ve done something, whether that’s get back in shape, beat cancer; it means something different to everyone. To see the emotions at the finish line, to stand there and watch people’s reactions is amazing.”

Tuesday’s show will also honor a friend who is battling cancer, Taricani said.

Her name will appear like a ticker running along the bottom of the show.

“We need to stop and appreciate how fortunate we are,” he added. “It’s such a great life and what [an amazing] life choice [we have] to be able to go out and run [a marathon].”

dailypilot@latimes.com

Twitter: @TheDailyPilot