Ultra runner half-way to 1,000 miles around Layton High's track

SALT LAKE CITY — Five hundred miles down, 500 miles to go. Ultra-distance runner Mason Wright reached the halfway point on Wednesday of his 1,000-mile goal to raise money for charity. Wright is running around the track at Layton High School and hopes to raise $100,000 for The Single Parent Project.

Wright accomplished the first 500 miles in just 10 days, running from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. with short breaks only for food, water and medical care.

He said he chose The Single Parent Project because of his own experience as the child of a single parent and hopes to help kids just like him by "supporting those extracurriculars, things that kept me out of trouble and put me in the position I'm in today."

Wright is no stranger to long-distance running; he runs regular ultramarathons and just last year, he ran the length of Utah, which is 421 miles from the top to the bottom of our state. Wright said the pain is just one hurdle. "Your legs start hurting after the first marathon," he said, "and it's all mental after that."

At this point, Wright has nerve damage in his legs and feet as well as impact injuries he's running through. He's being monitored by a doctor during the run.

"It is not something I recommend you do at home, but it's something that is representing, you know, the pain and suffering and hard work that these single parents put in."

You can follow his progress and support Wright's cause on his Instagram page.

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