On Oct. 24, Nels Matson arrived at New York City Hall after running for 46 days, 17 hours and 26 minutes, from San Francisco City Hall– making it into the list of the top f ive fastest known times for the feat in history. The record was originally set by Pete Kostelnick in 2016, and has been attempted multiple times—Nels even clocked a faster time than running influencer Paul Johnson by nearly a week, who attempted the record in early 2024.
Matson’s route took him through Mount Vernon, passing through the community Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Lincoln Wine Bar sponsored pizzas for Matson and the crew, as they completed just shy of 72 miles running on day 31 of the run.
Matson said of Mount Vernon “It’s a pretty cool little town.”
Matson journeyed 3,063.55 miles from San Francisco to New York City in honor of fallen U.S. Navy SEAL, Chris Campbell, in a feat named “Project Campbells Call.” The endeavor united the stories of veterans from across the country. His goal is to leverage his run to raise $100 per mile for Wounded Warrior Project, the nonprofit organization that Chris Campbell requested donations to in a note to his will. Campbell tragically lost his life in 2011 in Extortion 17.
Matson said of the transcon: “Running across the US was the hardest physical thing that I have ever experienced. Every time that I had a pain or was struggling mentally, I thought about what our nation’s veterans have experienced, and realized whatever I was experiencing was pretty small in comparison. I thought about all of the people in our country that are chasing dreams and accomplishing goals because of those that served and those that gave all as Chris Campbell did.”
This is not the first time Matson has performed ultra endurance events for a cause. He has previously biked across the country for the Children’s Heart Foundation, and once ran 1,200 miles from Florida to Washington, D.C. to raise funds for children in Cambodia needing heart surgery. Maton first began anticipating his transcontinental run to honor Chris Campbell in late 2020. However, he sustained an injury in 2022, and had to postpone the record attempt, but Matson never lost sight of his mission with Project Campbell’s Call or his passion for supporting veterans. After continuous training, on September 8th, 2024, Matson began his transcontinental run in San Francisco.
Matson had several crewmates through the run, taking care of logistics along the way– such as meal-planning for the 10,000+ calories a day he needed to eat in order to avoid caloric deficit.
“I had the best, most caring crew that a person could ask for. This was not an individual sport,” Matson said. “They were there for every step, keeping me fueled and moving in the right direction. It took a lot of great people to make this happen.”
Supporters who are moved by the cause can donate through Matson’s WWP Community Fundraising “Donate” link at T4N1.org. Every donation, like every step of the run, counts.
“The greatest casualty is being forgotten,” Matson said, echoing the WWP slogan. “Just because this run is over, it doesn’t mean we’ll stop saying Chris Campbell’s name or honoring his legacy and heart of service.”