I’ve done the San Francisco Marathon multiple times and this year, I was looking to do it just a little bit differently than previous years.

Enter the San Francisco Marathon 52.4 Mile Challenge, previously known as the Worth the Hurt challenge, open to only 100 entrants.

Here is how it works:

1. Midnight: Run the SFM course in reverse, from finish to start.
2. 5:40am: Run the SFM course with everyone else, start to finish.
3. Raise a bunch of money for charity in the process.

That’s right. Back-to-back marathons. I’ve run 50 miles before and it’s never an easy task, but the exciting thing about this will be running the second 26.2 with the official race. When folks are at the start line, fresh and ready to run, I’ll have already logged 26.2. It’ll be fun to see friends ready to take on the 26.2 course and I’ll be excited to see the sun because I’ve been running in the dark for 5+ hours.

Selecting a charity

This one was tough. There are many worthy charities and choosing a single cause is never easy. I regularly donate to many causes and support fellow endurance athletes and I don’t like the feeling of having to choose one over another.

I’ve chosen to raise money for the SF SPCA (SF Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). My uncommon selection is a result of seeing the joy brought to my daughters face when she interacts with our dog, Mika. We refer to them as sisters with how much they interact and how caring and protective our dog Mika was when we brought home a little baby. Mika would wake up with us at 2am feedings and follow us wherever we went. Mika is a part of our family and it’s a joy that I wish for many families. Cruelty to animals is truly a terrible thing and I’m happy to help out those often left without a voice to defend them.

Giveaway for charity

Through generous donations, I’m happy to be able to offer a giveaway for those who are able to make a donation.

(1) BIA Multi-Sport Watch (pink band, with GPS Go Stick)
(1) Adidas Climachill shirt signed by David Beckham (Mens XL)
(2) PRO Compression Socks (various colors, sizes) – Winners: Meg and Jess
(2) Be Real shoes (various colors, sizes, mens or womens)
(2) Tribesports half-zip performance top (mens or womens)
(4) HALO Belts (LED belts for night visibility, mens or womens) – Winners (2 of 4): Stacey and Sonia
(1) 3-month supply of Ascenta NutraSea Omega-3 supplement (3 bottles)
(1) The Runner’s World Big Book of Running for Beginners
(2) Injinji Performance Toe Socks (mix of sizes)
(2) GU Variety Pack (various kinds/flavors)
(1) Road ID e-coupon
(1) Strava water bottle and Beyond Coastal sunscreen
(2) Run All Day or #Runner shirts (various colors, mens/womens)
(1) Barefooters (various sizes, colors, mens/womens)

Over the giveaway, I’ll be doing a quick write-up and promo for each of these products. If you’d like to learn more NOW, please click on the URLs for each. All products were donated, free of charge — except the BIA watch, which I purchased as a kick-starter and am happy to share it with one lucky winner. Oh ya, and the Run All Day and #Runner shirts of course are from me.

For every $5, you’ll receive an entry to win one of the above prizes (based on availability).
The minimum donation is set to $10 (not by me).

Donate $10, that’s 2 entries.
Donate $15, that’s 3 entries.
Donate $20, that’s 4 entries.

The giveaway will be ongoing until July 11 and I’m planning on giving away some of the items during that time period, so the earlier you donate, the more opportunities you’ll have at claiming one of these amazing gifts. You can win multiple items, so don’t worry about winning something early and being “out.”

How to enter:

• Make a donation here
• Enter the rafflecopter below
• Select ONE amount below, do not enter multiple times.
• All donations will be confirmed. If you donated an amount that is not listed, email me and I’ll manually add in your entries.
• Winners will be announced on the blog and notified via email and/or social media.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to everyone for their consideration. I know that not everyone can donate, but I’ll gladly take a virtual high-five from every one of you.

You can always follow my adventures here:

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Run Strong. Finish Stronger.