Canadian begins 19,000K barefoot run from Montreal to ’end of the world’

Joseph Liu launched a 19,000-kilometre running journey yesterday from Montreal to the southernmost tip of Argentina – all of it without shoes. Liu plans to average 50K per day on weekdays and rest on weekends to cover 250K per week for 18 months.

Along his 14-country route, the Concordia University engineering graduate plans to team up with local charities to raise money for a variety of causes.

He won’t need to worry about finding a running shoe sponsor, but Liu will face some severe challenges by choosing to cover the distance barefoot. He’s trained barefoot for a year in the Montreal area in all types of weather, including running on snow, and says his soles are prepared for the elements.

But Liu says his major concerns don’t relate to his bare feet. “My biggest fears are loneliness and getting robbed,” he says.

Watch Liu take the first barefoot steps of his journey here: http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Montreal/ID/2395566872/

Check out Liu’s route and make a donation through his website: http://www.runningtotheendoftheworld.com/.

Related:

Barefoot from Montreal to Argentina: https://runningmagazine.ca/issues/62/barefoot-from-montreal-to-argentina/