Malachi O’Brien, pastor at Missouri’s The Church at Pleasant Ridge, took part in 153 consecutive marathons in order to raise awareness about youth mental health, adoption and foster care. On December 8, 2022, he fulfilled his goal of participating in consecutive marathons for 62 days, which broke the Guinness World Record. Known popularly as “Dr. Run,” Pastor Malachi continued running even after breaking the record and finished his 153rd marathon on March 8th. He has shared that issues such as adoption, youth mental health and foster care are important to him as they have been part of his and his family’s life. He was adopted when he was three years old and his family has adopted from the foster care system. Moreover, he began to focus on youth mental health after his daughter attempted suicide.
God TV reports:
A pastor in Missouri ran 153 consecutive marathons to raise awareness for adoption, foster care, and youth mental health.
153 Consecutive Marathons
Last December 2022, the pastor of The Church at Pleasant Ridge in Missouri, Malachi O’Brien, was seeking to beat the record for most consecutive days of running a marathon. His mission is to increase people’s awareness of foster care, adoption, and youth mental health.
He officially succeeded in running a marathon for 62 consecutive days on December 8, 2022, and broke the Guinness World Record.
Yet the pastor, known by the moniker “Dr. Run,” didn’t stop running even after breaking the record. He kept running until he reached consecutive marathon number 153, which he finished on March 8th.
Malachi told ChurchLeaders after finishing his 62nd marathon that his purpose for running was to raise awareness about youth mental health, adoption, and foster care.
Why Pastor Malachi Ran 153 Consecutive Marathons
Malachi told ChurchLeaders that youth mental health and foster and adoption care are two causes close to his heart. He was adopted at the age of three, and his family had adopted from the foster care system.
Furthermore, his oldest daughter attempted suicide around a year ago after struggling with mental health concerns. The incident, according to the pastor, awakened him and his wife to “the crisis” of youth mental health.
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