Florida runner’s plan to complete 50K in 50 states over 50 days will end in Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Every mile endurance athlete Brady McDonald puts on his body is another step away from his former self.

Read more Lahaina Homecoming event flies more than 100 former residents back to Maui

In 2023, he traded a thirst for alcohol for a pair of running shoes.

“I wasn’t a runner. I hired a coach. I trained for four months. I ran a 50-mile ultra-marathon in the Florida Keys and ended up in the hospital, but I won it,” he said.

On his track record are finishes in some of the most grueling footraces known to man, including the Moab 240-mile ultramarathon and the Arizona Monster 300.

He says God is his higher power.

”I clearly am not strong enough to do this by myself,” he said.

Now, the Florida real estate investor has his sights set on a new finish line. He calls it Zero to 100. It’s a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation that will help critically ill children.

”I’m going to run 50K, that’s 31 miles in all 50 states, in 50 consecutive days. The money will pay for 100 wishes,” he said.

The trek is scheduled to start on July 25 in Orlando and end on Sept. 12 in Hawaii.

But the running is just the attention getter. The goal is to raise $1 million for kids who rely on Make-A-Wish to make their dreams come true.

Read more State gives update on Daniel K. Inouye Highway repaving, safety work

”What we’re trying to do here is ultimately give them some hope when all they’re living in is fear,” he said.

Camping World has come on board, supplying McDonald with two RVs — one for a film crew that will document his 50-state runathon and post daily video updates on YouTube, and one for his family who’ll travel along for support.

”My wife does have the ability to pull the trigger for some reason if I have to go to the hospital,” he said. “I’ve got some backup plans in my head. There’s no way I’m going to let the children or the mission down.”

He’s planned it all out, down to the time it will take to run a 50K and then drive to the next state to do all over again. That includes getting to Alaska and an airplane ride to the 50th state, where he hopes to go the extra mile on Day 50 by running the entire circumference of Oahu.

”It’s probably a bad idea to say before I start, but it’s on the agenda,” he said.

Read more Billy V Live: An update on the latest in Hawaii entertainment and beyond

Learn more about Zero to 100 Wishes here.