Austrian Eric Keeler is planning a 4,000-mile run across the United States -- and it all begins in New England.
Keeler arrived in Boston this week, departing for Maine on Friday. His journey officially begins on Sunday in Lubec, Maine, near the Canadian border.
From there, he plans on spending the next several months working west, eventually ending near San Diego around Christmas.
"I quit my job, I got rid of my apartment, I took all of my stuff back to my parents' house, which they love," he joked. "I've got nothing to go back to at the moment. It's just the run."
Along the way, he's raising money for Spinal Research, a charity based in the U.K. Many of his friends have undergone spinal surgery or have injured their backs.
This is a plan he's been hoping to put in place for years, running marathons and ultra-marathons in preparation.
"I remember when I was a kid, I saw someone on the news getting interviewed, who was doing it, and I was like, 'that would be amazing,'" he said. "Just imagine spending half a year or a year just traveling across America and seeing all those places you want to see on holiday."
U.S. & World
If you'd like to donate to his cause, or offer assistance along his route, click here.
