Donovan ran every step alone. He was a silhouette at the side of the road, putting one foot in front of the other, normally 40 miles (64 km) per day, along the known and lesser-known byways of America—all 3,200+ miles of them. A single support driver stayed a few miles ahead and provided water and food. With his thoughts for company, as well as the kindness of passing strangers, Donovan progressed along a diverse route—crossing sixteen States, going northeast to meet Lake Erie, through the farmlands of Ohio, into the storms and dangerous heat of Kansas, ascending the Rocky Mountains, pacing himself under the Aspen of Colorado, running endless straight roads including Forrest Gump Highway near Monument Valley, and traversing the deserts of southeastern California in relentless 100F + temperatures. In Arizona he joined the occasional railroad track, or found a way through fields. For the final phase, he followed the historic Route 66 to the West Coast.

Sunday’s finish comes seven years after a previous transcontinental run by Donovan from San Francisco to New York. On that occasion, the run was a major fundraiser for Matthews who had just suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed. Unfortunately, Alvin died unexpectedly last year and Donovan’s run was a way to honor his memory and raise awareness and funds for the Triumph Foundation in southern California, an organization that helps people to triumph over disability and keep moving forward with their lives.

See