Henry is about to make your morning run look about as impressive as eating a bag of Doritos. On Wednesday, the 27-year-old departs at 9 a.m. on a 500-mile run from the east steps of the U.S. Capitol to Guelph, Ontario, with stops every 30 miles to bring attention to the plight of world hunger. Follow him at hunger500.org. What on earth are you thinking?
There’s a real connection between extreme hunger and poverty, and extreme ultra running. For me, the event taps into the same primal emotions as those who suffer from hunger and poverty. When I’m running that far every day, I can’t put on a facade about who I am. When you’re hungry, you can’t worry about the shoes on your feet or the roof over your head. For me, running emphasizes those emotions.
Won’t you become quite hungry yourself?
I intend to eat a lot of food. I’ll need to eat between 7,000-8,000 calories per day, just to break even. I’ll eat the typical ultra-runner things: Cliff bars, packs of Goo, Gatorade-like sports drinks. If I get a piece of pizza, great — some chicken salad, great. And I’ll keep up with fruits and veggies.
How much do you hope to raise to fight hunger?
We’re attempting to raise $100,000 for the United Nations World Food Programme and World Food Program U.S.A. We’re accepting donations through hunger500.org, and we’re also accepting donations along the run, and hosting hunger events.
What will the hunger events look like?
They’re called hunger banquets. Attendees will be assigned randomly to the lower class, middle class or upper class, based on percentages throughout the world. Those in the upper class will have a nice meal at a nice table. Those in the lower class will sit on the floor and eat only rice, without even a utensil.
Are you nervous?
Absolutely.
– Leah Fabel
