This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is Nathan Toben, who is running 77 miles of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail as fast as possible to raise money for a local non-profit.

Toben’s goal is to raise at least $5,000 dollars to go towards supporting youth of color in our community. Because he has family members who are at high risk for illnesses from COVID-19, Toben was unable to attend protests in the fight for racial equity. Instead, he turned to untrarunning for the answer as to how he could get involved.

“It kind of came about organically,” Toben told Chapelboro last month. “My partner and I were following the news, following the protests, following the shootings – and we’re sitting there in our house outside of Chapel Hill and we’re feeling all the things that everyone’s feeling, but were also feeling completely detached.”

The charity run will raise money for Triangle BikeWorks, a nonprofit based in Carrboro that provides youth of color with opportunities to engage in organized cycling and have access to educational bike tours throughout the southeast. Through the charity run, Toben said he wants other kids to have access to the same opportunities he had growing up.

“My dad was in a position of being able to afford a personal trainer, of being able to afford a thousand-dollar bike, of being able to afford to travel and such for me to go these races and not everyone is able to have that access,” Toben said. “I just think there’s something about self-powered travel that is just unique and educational and builds such a deep sense of self-belief.”

People have the opportunity to pledge money for each mile Toben completes. The money will be given to Triangle BikeWorks and their mission to level the playing field and inspire youth to conquer fear and achieve audacious goals. So every mile, and every penny, counts.

To learn more about Toben’s story, or to donate to his fundraiser, click here.


Listen to this week’s Hometown Hero segment: