One Mile An Hour For 24 Hours – A Marathon For Good

Grace Larner | Corridor News Reporter

Shane Hamilton is a Hays County resident who decided to give back to his community by running for a good cause.

Devoting himself for a full 24 hours, Hamilton ran at least one mile every hour to raise money for the Hays County Food Bank.

He was first inspired to make his own running fundraiser when he found a similar video of another young man running at least one mile every hour while also completing tasks to help his community.

As a result, Hamilton recreated the experience in June by running through a small loop in Blanco Vista around Silo Street at the start of every hour.

Hamilton initially wanted to raise a “buck a mile,” and his fundraiser expanded into receiving additional recognition, involvement, and support from the Hays County Food Bank.

“As absolutely crazy as the world is right now, I wanted to give folks a chance to be a part of this journey with me,” he said, “and that’s where Hays County Food Bank came in!”

Not only did Hamilton receive an abundance of support from the Hays County Food Bank, but he also received support and donations from his community.

“First goal was $500 and we’re up to $1052. I was just asking really for a buck a mile but got some pretty solid support right out of the gate,” said Hamilton.

According to the Hays County Food Bank’s website, “$1 can provide 4 meals” which means that Hamilton was able to donate 4,208 meals to people in need. This is an incredible achievement which parallels to the food bank’s slogan:

“We are passionately committed to improving lives through food assistance programs, nutrition, education, and advocacy.”

In addition to the running, Hamilton’s wife supported him and helped him choose different tasks to complete throughout the community.

Hamilton planned to dismantle a dead tree on a local trail in his neighborhood as well as picking up trash at Five Mile Park. He also included his family in the process by bonding with them through service when he painted with his wife and toddler.

A few months earlier, another local resident named Kelly Cato decided to raise her birthday funds for the Hays County Food Bank through Facebook.

The Hays County Food Bank is an essential business during Covid-19, and they provide groceries to low-income household and those suffering from food emergencies.

They also have created a Summer Nutrition Program so children and teens aged 18 and under can continue eating healthy throughout the summer at no cost.

To find more information visit http://www.haysfoodbank.org/home.aspx to donate, volunteer, discover events or programs.

Overall, running a marathon in 24 hours is a huge commitment, but Shane Hamilton’s journey shows that anyone can help or make a difference in their local communities just by going the extra mile.