Running 31 Marathons in 31 days while working full time? impossible? Not for Harold Allen

When most people decide to run seven marathons in seven days or 30 marathons in a month, they usually take time off from work. Not 36-year-old Harold Allen, a Georgia man who works a minimum wage job as a surgical orderly. The hardworking father of four daughters skimped on sleep in order to run 31 marathons (26.2 miles, not actual races) in 31 days to raise money and awareness for mental health. He came up with the month-long challenge because he wanted to raise money for Samaritan Counseling Center of Southwest Georgia, which provides extensive therapy options for adults, teens, children and families. He set up a GoFundMe page, with a goal of raising $2,000. In the end, he raised nearly $3,800 for the organization. So, why run 812.2 miles in 31 days and sleep for just three hours a night on top of working full-time and raising a family (his youngest daughter was born two weeks into this challenge, by the way)? For him, the answer was easy: May was Mental Health Awareness month, and his struggle with depression in the past made him realize how important good mental health care is.

posted Friday June 29th