Every weekend for the past year, Sam Felsenfeld has run a marathon.
Or two. Or three.
Sometimes within driving distance of his Foothill Ranch home. Often around the country.
Memphis on Saturday. Vegas on Sunday.
Last weekend, he raced in Tuscon.
Before last New Year’s, the father of three vowed to run 61 marathons around the country this year to raise money for autism-related charities in honor of his 7-year-old son, Jack.
On Dec. 26, Felsenfeld, 36, will fulfill his vow in Manhattan Beach, running his last race of the year — Operation Jack Marathon. The race will be the first sporting event ever put on by Citizens for Outdoor Recreation and Exercise (CORE).
“CORE is proud to support Operation Jack and Sam as he completes his 61st marathon of the year,” said CORE co-founder Jake Rome of Manhattan Beach. “More than just another race, the Operation Jack Marathon will be a true celebration of this year-long effort.”
Felsenfeld has spent all but six weekends of the past year on the road, leaving behind his wife and kids, to fundraise for autism. So far, he has raised $70,000 around the country through Train 4 Autism, a website that allows runners to raise money toward autism charities through the sporting event of their choice.
A self-confessed non-athletic, smoking, drinking, overweight student during college, Felsenfeld took up jogging at the age of 30 to get in shape. He progressed to half marathons and marathons, often finishing in the top two to three percent of racers. He also noticed that he recovered quickly from each race.
Four years ago, Jack was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, and has since been in constant therapy and treatment for limited speech and struggles with communication and social interaction.
After watching his son struggle with the condition, Felsenfeld felt inspired to honor him.
“My skill and talent is long distance running and fast recovery,” he said. “Then I have this son with autism. I thought, ‘How can I make something of these together?’ I thought ‘I’ll run a multitude of marathons in one year.’”
On New Year’s Day, Felsenfeld ran his first marathon of the year in Kingwood, Texas.
Last weekend, he finished his 59th race in Arizona.
Manhattan Beach resident Rome, who met Felsenfeld four years ago at a running event, decided to get in on the mission through CORE, a non-profit organization that formed in February in response to the closure of the sand dune at Sand Dune Park.
“[Jake] really digs what I’m doing,” Felsenfeld said. “He convinced me to do the last race in Manhattan Beach. I came down a couple weeks ago [from Orange County] to see the finish line because I was so excited. I cannot wait to get back.”
Operation Jack Marathon will start at 7:30 a.m. at the northern edge of Manhattan Beach near The Strand and 45th Street and continue north along the South Bay Bike Path to the Marina del Rey Harbor entrance, cross Pacific Avenue to the Ballona Creek Bike Path and back to the start.
Entry fees are $55 for the marathon and $45 for the half marathon. All participants will receive a T-shirt. All finishers will receive a medal.
To register, visit http://core4you.org. For more information, visit www.operationjack.org. ER
