Tireless fundraiser keeps on running after completing 241-km ultra-marathon

It took 241 kilometres, 56 hours, and an entire box of Costco warming packs, but one Winnipeg man succeeded in raising $13,000 for a local homeless shelter.

Starting at 11 a.m. on Dec. 26, Junel Malapad ran a 3.3-km loop near The Forks, with the goal of running 241 km — or 150 miles — in support of Siloam Mission.

"The experience was every emotion you could think about … I had many friends come out and help me out. Not even just friends, people I've never met before,"  Malapad said.

"It's quite overwhelming."

His plan was to raise $5,000 for Siloam Mission, an organization that provides shelter, meals and clothing for people experiencing homelessness. He ended up raising nearly $13,000.

Malapad started fundraising for Siloam Mission in 2016 after an incident when a woman froze to death in December of that year.

"She didn't have a home, and I learned that Siloam Mission has programs that can help people out, and give people a helping hand where they need it," he said.

Finding out that he'd reached, then surpassed, his goal, Malapad said he felt elated.

"It really touched my heart that all the people in the community would give a little bit, and support what I was doing," he said.

Malapad finished the long-distance run in 56 hours, taking only three hours to sleep at the nearby Inn at The Forks.

"Even when there wasn't anyone out running with me, I just kept thinking about why I'm doing this. The weather wasn't really great overnight, the wind was blowing quite brisk, but I knew that when I was finished I had a hot meal, and a warm bed and loved ones beside me. It keeps a person going," he said.

And as if he hadn't clocked enough miles, just a day after finishing, Malapad was back at The Forks with the Winnipeg Run Club for his weekly run.

"I really like running," he said.