Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition

Alaska to Fla. in just over 3 months

- By Johnny Diaz South Florida Sun Sentinel

Move over, Forrest Gump. An ultra marathon runner from Ohio has wrapped up a 5,384-mile trek from Alaska to Key West.

On Nov. 5, Pete Kostelnick, 31, stepped up to the southernmo­st-point buoy in the United States in Key West.

The Broadview Heights, Ohio, man launched his “Pete’s Feet Across America” trip from Kenai, Alaska, on July 31.

“I thought back on how I saw amazing glaciers and some of the world’s largest mountains in Alaska. I remembered seeing a couple grizzly bears from 40 feet away and somehow remaining calm,” he shared on Instagram upon completing the trip that he documented with posts and photos on social media.

His goal for the run was to inspire others to pursue their dreams.

Kostelnick made the journey while jogging with a three-wheeled stroller that helped him average 55 miles a day. After Alaska, he crossed through Canada and then North Dakota and Minnesota, working his way southeast toward Georgia. He arrived in Florida on Oct. 26 in Lake City and then trekked south toward Gainesvill­e, Daveport and Sebring.

On Saturday, Kostelnick started from Pembroke Pines and made it to Florida City by the end of the day. His theme song that day was Will Smith’s “Miami.” He forged ahead to Key West over the weekend.

This is not his first long haul on foot. Two years ago, Kostelnick ran 3,067 miles from San Francisco to New York City. That trip took him 42 days.

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