NEW YORK - mega-marathoner Dean Karnazes crossed the finish line Tuesday morning completing a remarkable run that he had taken from sea to shining sea.
Viewers to "live!" With Regis and Kelly "saw Karnazes arrive at the studio of Manhattan of the talk show more than two months after he left Disneyland California February 25."
Accompanied by a clutch of runners colleagues on this last stage of his cross-country Odyssey, he raced Columbus Avenue that was waving an American flag, was left on 67th Street and break a high school marching band and a crowd under a burst of confetti. Then he dashed lined input of red of the studio, where his wife Julie and 13-year-old son, Nick held the band that have marked his much-anticipated arrival.
He hugged co-hosts Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa and greeted the enthusiastic studio audience. It urges everyone to pursue their dreams, as he has.
"It has been a dream of mine from 75 days to be standing here," he said, wearing a broad smile and clearly feel pumped. "God bless America." Get em, people! ?
Teamed with "Live" for its execution across America, Karnazes for 48 years has been promoting fitness for Americans and young people in particular. The broadcast regularly updates, to follow its progress on a route covered nearly 3 000 miles, which took him across 16 States and the District of Columbia.
Other notable stats of his pilgrimage:
? an average of 40 to 50 miles run each day (from 8 to 15 hours a day).
? more than 50 pairs of shoes exhausted.
? $177,865 collected during a dozen 5 K fun runs Karnazes led the way for the benefit of Action for children in good health, a non-profit and voluntary organization who fight against childhood obesity and undernourishment.
Moments after "Live" was off the coast of air, Karnazes took a break in the green room of the show, where, still wet a spray of champagne celebration, he loved his first SIP of water post-ultra-marathon.
"3,000 Miles running only said," he said, trying to summarize his experience. "Weather conditions, the mountains, the desert - I mean, it was just intense."
Karnazes spent Monday evening at Fort Lee, New Jersey, on the Hudson River from New York. Come morning, he had polished off a 9-miler "easy."
The best time of the execution?
"Coming in the studio," said, "come here, see my family, finally know I did." The days I was questioning it: can it really make? ?
The native of San Francisco Bay area came to the apparently qualified challenge. His long list of clothes of endurance includes this feat: running 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 States. It is not only mega-runner, but also an advocate for fitness and author, whose most recent book is "run!" 26.2 Stories of blisters and Bliss. ?
The worst moment of the race?
"The end of the first day," Karnazes responds instantly. "I have been destroyed." I thought: "How am I going to do for 74 days more?". It was as easy to talk about, but after the first day it hit me: the enormity of what we were about to begin. Then I told myself, ' get up the morning and try your best. You can or cannot find, but your commitment is to try your very difficult. ? ?
"Live" producer Executive that Michael Gelman said he thought that Karnazes was at the height, even nursing harass a few doubts about his own.
"Dean is so confident when we were first brought the idea to", recalled the Gelman. "He said: ' this is an excellent idea! No problem! We'll do it! "If I had known that he himself doubting I would have been even more nervous.
"I was scared, but I also believed in him." And I was right, "Gelman says with a laugh. "Thank God".
Karnazes heads home Wednesday and he can put his feet for the journey - it fly you, do step current execution - while with pride, he meditates on where it was.
"This is a great country wide, and you fly on it and look down and wonder,"What is there?"" I know what is out there, "he says. "I've just crossed right there.". I saw him personally. ?
