Hungarian man Norman Varga running 50 marathons in 50 days
Runners in the 2011 ING New York City Marathon in New York on Nov. 6, 2011.
A Hungarian man has begun a quest to run the equivalent of 50 marathons in 50 days en route to the 2012 Olympics in London next month.
Norman Varga, 25, is a former cage fighter whose left arm had to be reattached after he was pushed under a tram at 16, according to The Associated Press.
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He plans to run about 1,300 miles from Budapest to London in an effort to draw attention to the importance of supporting young people. His journey will take him through Slovakia, Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands — hopefully in time for the Olympics opening ceremony in London on July 27, Agence France Presse reported.
"I run to promote endurance and strong will," Varga told AFP. "I want to be a role model through the things I do in my life."
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Varga, whose quest began Saturday, runs a foundation dedicated to helping youth develop a healthy lifestyle and support their goals in education, science and art, according to the AP.
He is known as an “ultramarathoner” who runs beyond the usual 26-mile marathon, sometimes running a 100-mile race for consecutive number of days, All Headline News reported.