Joe Nail, 28, saw all 50 states this summer — because he ran a marathon in each one. Project 1310, named for the amount of miles Nail ran, came to a close Sunday in D.C.
In addition to running, Nail challenged himself to do 1,000 push ups in each state: a total of 50,000 push ups.
“Every state, wake up, run a marathon, do 1,000 push ups, and then go to the next state,” Nail said.
The Army officer, veteran advocate and CEO of Lead for America, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and support for veterans, began the journey in June with his first marathon in Denali, Alaska.
Three months later, a crowd gathered on the National Mall in D.C. to watch as Nail completed his 1,310th mile.
He ran 13.1 miles on his own earlier Sunday, then joined runners in the D.C. Half marathon to finish up. Nail ran to West Potomac Park where friends, family and supporters carrying state flags joined him to walk the last mile ending at the World War II memorial.
He also completed his last 50 pushups on the memorial grounds.
“More important than the physical challenge, though, was the cause behind it. I’m an Army officer. I was first inspired to join the military after going to my great uncle’s funeral in Arlington National Cemetery,” Nail said. “In the time since, every time I’ve gone to military training, I’ve come back inspired and felt like we need more of that spirit of service and sacrifice across our entire country.”
Project 1310 was used to raise money and awareness for Lead for America’s new Veterans Fellowship program — which helps one veteran in each state return to their home and continue serving and leading every year. Veterans are placed in a governor’s or mayor’s office and given the chance to work with their local community.
“The whole goal is to get people who have served our country to be able to have leadership positions when they come back home,” Nail said.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
