Florida man completes solo 100-mile charity run

With restrictions still quite loose in North America compared to Europe, Canadians and Americans can still go outside, meaning training runs are still allowed. American ultrarunner David Kilgore took advantage of this freedom on Friday and ran 100 miles on his own in Palm Bay, Fla., to make up for the cancelled races he’s going to miss this season. Kilgore’s efforts weren’t all for himself, though, as he used the opportunity to raise money for small businesses and healthcare workers in New York City.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KusBuHqeA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The fundraiser

Kilgore is an On Running ambassador who lives and trains in New York City. In an Instagram post explaining his 100-mile charity run, he explained that the money he raised would be spent on gift cards at “run specialty stores” in New York City.

RELATED: Ultrarunner moves 1,600 miles so he can run during impending lockdown

These are “stores that I typically work with on a daily basis,” Kilgore wrote. He will donate those gift cards to New York City healthcare employees working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 outbreak. Kilgore set up a GoFundMe page with a fundraising goal of $10,000. As of Sunday morning, he’s raised over $12,000.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-S7QdknVW3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The run

Kilgore started the run (which he called the COVID 100 on Strava) on Friday morning at 4 a.m. EDT. He ran 100 miles on the dot, crossing the makeshift finish line in 15:30:37. This works out to an average pace of 5:47 per kilometre over the course of the full 100-mile run. It was 28 C in Palm Bay on Friday, which can be hot enough for a 5K, let alone a 100-miler, making Kilgore’s run all the more impressive.

RELATED: This runner covers the height of mountains on his back porch

These long distances are nothing new to Kilgore, who has competed in many ultramarathons and in 2019 represented the U.S. at the Trail World Championships in Portugal. His GoFundMe page is still active and remains open for donations.