Winnipeg man running for 48 hours in support of Siloam Mission

Running for 48 hours may not be how many, if any, Winnipeggers will be spending the days after Christmas, but for one man it's an old hat.

The snow covering a well-worn loop around The Forks will be packed down by a single pair of running shoes on Sunday and Monday. This is the seventh year Junel Malapad is running, but this year it comes with a twist.

"I am making running day another day longer; for 48 hours," Malapad says.

He is hoping to run 200 kilometres in those 48 hours. In some previous years, he has run for 56 hours, making 48 hours a more relaxed goal.

"Running these long distances is actually about the mental; if you are strong mentally. Because it comes to the point where you just want to give up. What is going to carry me is the reason why."

He is hoping to raise $20,000 for Siloam Mission.

"There will be people who will be out there in the elements not wanting to be out there," he says, referring to Winnipeg's unsheltered population. "That is what is going to carry me through my 48 hours."

Malapad has garnered support from fellow Winnipeggers over the last number of years for his running feats.  He has raised more than $5,000 as of Thursday evening, more than a quarter of the way to his goal. His donation page is filled with encouraging words. This year, he hopes to inspire others to enjoy the outdoors.

Malapad is not giving anything away but says he will be doing more long-distance running in the future.