78-year-old Kentucky native Stan Cottrell is on the ultimate charity run.
He's currently crossing the United States on foot for the third time as part of his Amazing Friendship Run, which he plans to complete in 100 days.
“I’ve run about 2,300 miles, I think I have about 700 miles to go. I think we’ve been on the road now 67, this may be day 68. I know I’ve got 32 more days," Cottrell told WBKO during a stop in his hometown of Munfordville.
The goal of the run is to raise money for a variety of charities, including Feed The Children and Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. However, long-distance running is just a part of who Cottrell is.
He says he's been running for 73 years. He started as a little kid on his parents' farm. He was tasked with chasing down any loose livestock, and if he fell behind his morning chores on the farm, he'd have to run to school because he missed the bus.
He hasn't stopped running and his feet has taken him all over the world. He's even ran the entire span of the Great Wall of China in 53 days, and has see more than 40 countries. He even holds a World Record for running across America in 48 days. He estimates that he's run more than 260,000 miles.
Cottrell has no desire to slow down either. He enjoys what he does because it keeps him healthy and gives him a chance to meet a variety of people, including people who'll join him for parts of his runs.
"The people that come out and run with me, they know it’s not a competition,” Cottrell told the Louisville Courier Journal. “We’re just celebrating the uniqueness of the human family and the fact that we each have a unique purpose in life. You have something you can do that nobody else can do. All I am trying to do is encourage you to discover what you do well.”