Sam Felsenfeld came a long way in 2010 -- about 26 miles at a time. He ran 61 marathons as part of "Operation Jack," an effort to raise autism awareness.
Felsenfeld began running the marathons one year ago. He finished Sunday with a run in Manhattan Beach.
According to the Daily Breeze:
Four years ago, Felsenfeld's youngest son was diagnosed with a severe case of autism. Today Jack is 7, still unable to speak and requiring around-the-clock, specialized care. Jack's condition galvanized Felsenfeld - and a legion of supporters - into action. The father of three spent eight months brainstorming the ambitious idea of running marathons across the country, sometimes two a weekend, to increase autism awareness. Felsenfeld said the effort is a way to secure his young son's legacy.
Felsenfeld, 36, is a former smoker. He ran his first marathon four years ago in San Diego.
He covered 1,586 miles, sometimes running two marathons in a single weekend.
For the final mile Sunday, he pushed his son in a stroller.
"It's hard pushing that stroller, but it's cool," Felsenfeld said. "It's cool that he gets to be a part of it."
In 2010, he ran marathons in Boston, Minnesota, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego and other locations. He set a personal best of 3:03:48 in Boston.
Felsenfeld raised more than $70,000, according to the Daily Breeze.
