BUFFALO, N.Y. — It wasn't the 40th birthday that Joe Benedict may have expected, but it turned out to be one he and his family will always remember.
Benedict lives in Hamburg with his wife, Jill, their 6-year-old son, Joey, and their 4-year-old daughter, Amelia. He wanted to do something big for his special day this past Saturday, but was having trouble coming up with ideas that would work while social distancing.
Benedict likes to run, so he decided to map out his own 26.2 mile route, and ran a solo marathon around the Village of Hamburg. He finished in four and a half hours.
His route took him by his house three times, so his family could wave an cheer him on. At the end, friends and neighbors showed up to greet him at the finish line, while all keeping their distance.
"It was not the 40th birthday I imagined, but I did something that was a big challenge for me, and I accomplished it, I thought that was great," Benedict said. "I got a lot of support from my wife and my family which means a lot to me, even though it's difficult in these times. They still came out and supported so you're right, it's certainly one to remember."
Before his birthday run, Benedict had never participated in a marathon before. In fact, he had never even run in an organized race. He said now that he has one under his belt, he's looking forward to signing up for one and training for it in a more traditional way in the future.