Tom McGrath, an ultra-distance runner, can often be seen running all over Manhattan, whether he’s running in Central Park or busy running his bar and restaurant. McGrath, 68, has stamina for it all. He has so much stamina that he decided to run a marathon a day from Boston to New York in order to raise money for the American Wheelchair Mission. This run isn’t his first time running across the United States – he broke the Trans-Am record almost 41 years ago, running from New York to San Francisco in 53 days during 1977. His most recent endeavor was sponsored by many Irish American organizations like the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Knights of Columbus.
McGrath’s run, called “Miles 4 Miracles,” set out to change lives through mobility by helping the American Wheelchair Mission distribute wheelchairs to veterans’ hospitals, fire houses, ambulances, churches, and to the poor throughout the world. McGrath began his journey on December 1 in Boston, taking six days to complete the distance, where he finished at Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral in Lower Manhattan.
“We made it. I came in a little worse for wear with the right leg flaring up,” McGrath wrote on Facebook following the run. “Not sure I could have gone another day, but thank God I was able to make it.” ♦ Dave Lewis
Leave a Reply