Ultrarunner David Kilgore Runs 100 Miles in One Day to Raise Money for COVID-19 Relief Efforts
Ultrarunner David Kilgore didn't let the Florida heat stop him from raising money for COVID-19 relief efforts.
On Friday, Kilgore ran 100 miles in his hometown of Palm Bay, Fla., to help New York City small businesses and buy shoes for healthcare workers. In an Instagram post on Thursday, he said he "wanted a new way to push my limits" after most of his upcoming races were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I am running to raise awareness and donations for the communities needing it most. Your donations will contribute to Gift Cards that I will be purchasing from struggling NYC run specialty stores. Stores that I typically work with on a daily basis," Kilgore said. "Those Gift Cards will then be donated to (NYC Health + Hospitals ) to provide front line medical workers supportive footwear while they are working long days keeping my city healthy."
Kilgore started a campaign on GoFundMe where people can donate to help him reach his goal of $10,000. As of Saturday afternoon, he had exceeded that mark and raised $10,211. Kilgore also encouraged people to run virtually with him if possible and remember to keep their distance from others.
The 100-mile run took Kilgore 17 hours, 47 minutes and 47 seconds.
Kilgore bounced around the NCAA as a distance runner and competed for Colorado, Florida and Oklahoma State. Post collegiately, he has focused on road racing, trail and ultrarunning. Kilgore, who resides in New York City, represented the U.S. at the 2019 World Trail Championships. He runs for the New York Athletic Club and holds a personal best of 2:27:59 from last year’s New York City Marathon.
New York City is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. and has reported over 26,000 confirmed cases. Healthcare workers are working long hours to combat the virus and face having a lack of protective equipment like masks to safeguard themselves. There are more than 621,630 confirmed cases of the virus globally in at least 177 countries.
