Leland Yu finished his 12 hour “Run For Chinatown Part 2” at 6:02pm Sunday evening on Mott Street in New York City’s Chinatown to support his home community.
His mother and friends waited for him at the finish line along with a Chinese lion dance troupe to congratulate him for his momentous feat. Although he fell short of the 70 miles he originally planned, he still managed to run two miles more than his first run in May at 61 miles.
The crowd cheered as they caught sight of him coming down Mott Street. A Chinese lion dance troupe welcomed Yu with a lively performance as he crossed the finish line. Even some firecrackers were lit to celebrate his finish.
Yu started his run at 6:05am from Brooklyn on a cold morning with a breakfast of smashed avocado on toast. He moved his run from Saturday to Sunday due to the rain
Like his last race, Yu set up a tracking system for friends to follow his live progress and his location. Around 7am he was already in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. He ran to the end of the George Washington Bridge through parts of Brooklyn and New Jersey and then turned around back into Manhattan.
When Yu announced his second run in November, he invited other runners to support the GoFundMe account which has raised $14,490 in 13 days as of Monday morning. The money raised will be distributed to three Chinatown non-profits Yu selected: The Chinatown Freemasons, The Chinatown Mural Project and Welcome to Chinatown.
Yu’s friends and family are extremely proud of him and what he has been able to do for his home community. He deserves several days of Chinese food to refuel and lots of rest. Interested donors may make a contribution to the GoFundMe which will remain open for an undetermined amount of time.
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