Sarasota man aims to break record for fastest run across America in fallen Navy SEAL's honor

SARASOTA, Fla. - A Sarasota man plans to run from California to New York to raise money for veterans, helping to fulfill the final wish of a fallen Navy SEAL. The elite-runner is also on a mission to break the world record for the fastest run across America.

Nels Matson gets in a lot of mileage. He pounds the pavement almost daily, churning out up to 150-miles a week. The ultra-runner is training, but he is no stranger to challenging distances.

"I ran from here to Washington D.C. in about 40-miles a day with a stuffed penguin on my back," said Matson.

That trek was 1,200 miles, and his next goal is more than 3,000.

"This is definitely very outside of my comfort zone," Matson said.

The 39-year-old is on a mission to set a new world record for the fastest run across America. It is the longest distance he has ever attempted.

"The current record is 42-days, six-hours and 30 minutes," said Matson.  "And so that's about 72-miles a day. And my goal is faster than that. So whatever's faster than that, I’m happy with."

He will be running about 15 hours a day for six weeks straight. Fueled by a greater purpose: The final wish of fallen Navy SEAL Chris Campbell.

"He wanted 100,000 people to come together to help his brothers and sisters who did make it home, if he was not to make it home," Matson said.

Campbell served our country for 15 years. In 2011, he was one of 30 service members killed when a helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. Campbell left a notation in his will that if anything happened he hoped others could still make a difference by donating to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Matson launched Project Campbell’s Call to share that challenge with as many people as possible, while taking on the intense endurance run from coast to coast.

"So we get to get this message out all the way across the United States," he said.

Keeping Campbell’s heart of service alive by supporting injured veterans. So far, about 30,530 people have donated to the Wounded Warrior Project in Campbell’s memory.

Matson will begin running on August 30, starting the route on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, and ending at City Hall in the Big Apple.

For more information, visit  https://www.projectcampbellscall.com/.