Can a Jersey guy run the length of the state in 40 hours?

His name is Cole Crosby and he thinks he can do what no else ever has. He thinks he can run the entire length of the Garden State in just 40 hours.

I am not going to doubt him. Look at his stats. The 32 year old is 5’10”, 140 pounds, and has been running at least since high school where he was captain of his track team and fiercely competitive. He believes he has over 10,000 hours running time since graduating college. He runs 70 to 100 miles per week. An ultra-marathon is any race over 26.2 miles. He’s done 30 of those.

At 2 a.m. Saturday he’ll leave his starting point at High Point Monument and hopes to end at Cape May Lighthouse by 6 p.m. Sunday. 40 hours. 195 miles.

Can the human body, any human body, run 4.875 miles per hour for a sustained 40 hours? Actually at times he will need to be even faster because he says he may try to sleep for an hour or so. He’s also bringing changes of socks and running shoes, and you can’t change those while running.

Crosby says it’s not a matter of thinking he can do it. He says he knows he can.

Not that others haven’t tried. In fact according to NJ.com Connie Gardner, a successful ultra-marathon runner, ran the length of the state in 2015 but wasn’t trying for a any time record.

No one has done it in 40 hours.

Cole Crosby, who will be tailed alternately by his wife and father in their cars along the way, says he can. And he’s trying to raise at least $1,000 for the Road Runners Club of America. I’m sharing the link to this fundraiser because I sincerely hope he makes it. With the times in which we are living we could all use a little hope and inspiration about now.

Good luck, Cole!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski. Any opinions expressed are Jeff Deminski's own.