A native of Gloucester, England, was greeted by a crowd of supporters as he finished his 210th marathon in a year Wednesday in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Jamie McDonald, also known as Adventureman, has been on an 11-month trek across the country to raise money for sick children. His non-profit, the Superhero Foundation has raised over $1 million over the years and near $200,000 in his recent journey.
For McDonald, who recovered form a rare spinal condition as a child, the cause is deeply personal.
"I know what it's like, and it's so tough," McDonald said. "There's no amount of miles that I could ever do that would compare to their world, so I just have to keep running."
The 32-year-old, who wears a cape and superhero costume, began his 5,500 mile jaunt in Washington State last year. He ran through 20 states in all kinds of weather, even encountering rattlesnakes and mountain lions. He decided to finish in Gloucester because it shares a name with his hometown in England.
"The people in Massachusetts are already making me feel like this is my home, so it's pretty special finishing here," McDonald said.
On Wednesday afternoon, a crowd of hundreds gathered at the Fisherman's Memorial to see him cross the finish line. McDonald celebrated by jumping in the Atlantic Ocean just as he did in the Pacific when he started his journey. He said he thought about the children he was helping the entire way.
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"That's what got my heart going," McDonald said. "That's what kept my legs going and this is just the beginning."
Even though the charity run is over, you can still find out about McDonald's mission and non-profit here.
His next challenge is trying to set the world record for the longest distance ever on a treadmill. He will attempt once he is back home to Gloucester, England, next month.
