Karl Meltzer may have finished up his Appalachian Assault a few days, ago, completing the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in just 54 days, 21 hours, and 12 minutes. But he's not the only one running the length of the AT, as runner Ben Davis has also set out to accomplish the task, with the goal of finishing in a more modest 62 days in an attempt to raise awareness of the debilitating disease ALS.
Ben set out from Mount Katahdin in Maine on the 23rd of September, and has already been going strong for more than a week. He's averaging over 25 miles/day so far and seems to be doing well. Unlike Karl, Ben has built in some rest days to his schedule and has shorter distances planned for most of his days. You can check out Ben's website at 2175forals.com as he runs the entire 2175 mile length of the trail for ALS. You can also read an excellent story about Ben and why he is attempting this over at GreatOutdoors.com.
ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and is better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The terrible affliction attacks the central nervous system, causing a break down of motor neurons that leads to a loss of motor functions. It is generally progressive in nature, getting gradually worse over time, and in most cases it is fatal. At this time there is no cure, although there are some experimental drugs that have been used in treating the disease.
Be sure to check out Ben's website, where you can track his progress, learn more about the gear he's using, and about his overall goals. Good luck Ben!
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