This weekend, Eric Thorne, a physical therapist in Daleville, is running the cross country portion of the Cherry Blossom Trail at Greenfield for 24 hours to raise awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“I’m a pretty avid distance runner,” Thorne said in a recent interview. “I thought that, other than doing it for my health, that I could really raise awareness for the need of more research about ALS.”
Thorne spent the last 10 years working out of Daleville. He’s a native of Greenbrier County, W.Va., and ran cross country in high school. In 2010, Thorne competed in his first marathon.
“I’ve had multiple patients with ALS and recently lost a patient to ALS,” Thorne continued. “It just goes to show that it is a horrible disease and we’ve got to do something to raise awareness and get funding for the research.”
Thorne’s run begins at 9 a.m. this Saturday morning and he plans to end his run at 9 a.m. on Sunday. He plans to run for a majority of the 24-hour period while scheduling brief breaks. His run will start at the soccer fields of the Greenfield Sports Complex, working his way onto the cross-country trail.
“I have a certain number miles in mind that I would like to get, but to reach that I’m not going to be able to take many long breaks,” Thorne added.
On Tuesday, Thorne posted an “Ice Bucket Challenge” Facebook video (https://www.facebook.com/greenbriervalleypt/) announcing the run and that Thorne will donate $2 for every mile he completes this Saturday.
To donate to the ALS Association and support Thorne’s 24-hour run, please visit donate.als.org/team/391853.
