Haiti might look small on a map, especially compared to the neighboring US. But would you be willing to run the distance of the country? 230 miles in only 9 days? That's about 9 marathons.

One area man did just that, and he raised $75,000 dollars for a charity that helps Haitians still effected from the devastating 2010 earthquake find steady employment. 23 year-old John Elkes, who was born in Briarcliff, as well as six others, started their journey in the northern city of Cap-Haitien. From there they ran south along the country's coastline and through the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, before finishing in Jacmel on the south coast along the Caribbean Sea. Elkes said

It was the most incredible thing that I've ever done in my entire life. I watched an entire country unfold in front of my eyes every day by foot. It was amazing. I made it the whole way and finished feeling really great. It was definitely some of the most difficult running I've ever done in my entire life ... I still can't believe I did it.

According to lohud.com, the group is known as Team Tassy, named after Tassy Fils-Amie, who met founder Ian Rosenberger in 2010, when Fils-Amie had a facial tumor removed at a Pittsburgh hospital with Rosenberger's help

 

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