Organizers of a first-ever, three-pronged charity running relay across the country are waiting to learn how much money they raised from the several-week event.
The United Relay of America wrapped to a close as runners pounded through Prospect Park in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Saturday, several weeks after the relay kicked off on April 27 from Seattle and later in May from San Francisco and Los Angeles. Runners were able to pick from about two dozen charities and raise funds for one of them as they participated. All three groups ran separate paths across the country. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys partnered with the organizers and spoke at the finale on Saturday.
The United Relay of America was the brainchild of James Hay, one of the three organizers of the One Run for Boston, the California-to-Boston running relay that took place in 2013 and 2014 and raised funds for the April 15, 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon.
“I’m feeling really good,” Hay said during an interview in New York, a few hours after the relay ended. “It’s been a really long journey, 3.5 thousand miles.”
Runners completed the journey with the help of a staff that Hay recruited from the U.K., as well as volunteers in the United States. Runners ran legs around the clock, in all sorts of weather.