Local runners complete 4x4x48 Goggins Challenge to raise funds for community members in need

ST. MARYS – Running four miles every four hours over a 48hour timeframe, known as the 4x4x48 Goggins Challenge, may seem like a daunting undertaking for some, but local runners Aaron Lanzel and Kurt Wolfe knew that it was an endeavor they wanted to undertake as a way to help raise funds for two community members who are battling cancer.

Lanzel and Wolfe began their 4x4x48 Goggins Challenge on Friday evening and wrapped it up on Sunday afternoon, sharing their journey with several members of their family and friends, and raising thousands of dollars along the way for their chosen cause.

Both Lanzel and Wolfe attended Elk County Catholic High School and were members of the cross country team. Lanzel graduated in 2025, while Wolfe just graduated in May. The idea of completing a 4x4x48 Goggins Challenge was a longrunning idea between the duo, but Lanzel explained that it was not the best idea, trainingwise, while either of them was participating in high school sports.

Lanzel also shared that he and Wolfe had watched local runner Harley Thompson, who he described as being a role model, close friend, and prominent member of the St. Marys running community, complete a 4x4x48 Goggins Challenge of his own in the past.

“Seeing (Thompson) complete this challenge is really what planted the seed for us to take it on as well,” Lanzel said.

Lanzel and Wolfe selected a tentative date for the challenge a few months ago, though most of the of cial planning took place over the past two or three weeks.

That included selecting the cause they wanted to support with their run: raising funds for Walter and Schutz families to support Angie Walter and Nora Schutz.

“Seeing as the Schutz and Walter families are

prominent members of the ECC and local community, we gured that this would be the perfect opportunity to undertake a challenge bigger than ourselves, while also giving back to those in need,” Lanzel said.

The duo set up a GoFundMe ahead of their run, and Wolfe shared that they surpassed their initial goal before the 4x4x48 Goggins Challenge even got underway.

“Originally, we didn’t expect to make a whole

lot more than $1,000$2,000,” Wolfe said. “That number was blown away before the challenge even started. The GoFundMe was posted Tuesday, June 2, and by Wednesday night, we had nearly $2,000.”

As of the afternoon of Tuesday, June 9, the GoFundMe had surpassed $7,000.

Wolfe and Lanzel embarked on the rst leg of their 4x4x48 Goggins

Challenge at 6 p.m. Friday joined by a few of their friends. Lanzel noted that each leg was open to anyone who wanted to run or bike with them, and they would post their routes on social media ahead of time so community members would know where to nd them.

“We had actually never gone a single run without someone coming out to do it with us,” Lanzel said. “After totaling it up, we had about 30 different people come out to run/ride alongside us throughout the weekend.”

Their runs took them throughout St. Marys and beyond, with the

nal run at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon taking place in Jay Township and ending at The Cross on Mt. Zion Road.

“In terms of planning routes, it was much more thorough when we knew we’d have many more people wanting to come out and run,” Lanzel said. “This allowed them to gauge how it would work out for them, but also allowed us to be much more analytical in deciding what types of runs would be most sustainable throughout the weekend. There were still many runs where we simply sent out a meeting spot and made it up from there, or just did an out-and-back run when we expected few people to come out. We took advantage of the Shawmut Grade, as well as the West Creek Rail Trail, when we were looking to get away from the heat or just needed a simple route.”

The duo noted that, while the effort the runs required remained fairly consistent throughout the challenge, there were some that presented more of a challenge than others.

“We seemed to have picked the most humid weekend yet, so we really weren’t cut many breaks, even when transitioning into the runs that took place throughout the night,” Lanzel said. “Other than the humidity, we experienced heavy rain only once, which we were somewhat thankful for at the time.”

Wolfe shared that, going into the 4x4x48 Goggins Challenge, they anticipated that the hardest part would be the discipline of showing up to run to the best of their ability for each leg. With their chosen time schedule, they had two runs at 6 p.m., 10 p.m., 2 a.m., 6 a.m., and 2 p.m. throughout the course of the challenge.

“As the runs went on, new struggles were introduced, which forced us to experience a range of feelings we’d neve experienced before,” Wolfe said.

Lanzel elaborated, explaining that once they got past the halfway point, they began to face challenges keeping up with nutrition and sleep.

“Knowing what the body needs can be very confusing at times, especially when moving through efforts like this,” Lanzel said. “While this part took a toll on both of us, I tried to approach it as a learning experience, especially when training for multi-hour races in the coming

months. Other than general fatigue and soreness, both of us fortunately made it through the weekend without any notable aches or pains.”

Helping to keep Wolfe and Lanzel motivated as community support throughout the weekend that the duo described as being “through the roof.”

“We had received so many messages throughout the weekend supporting us and encouraging us to keep going,” Lanzel said. “We also had plenty of help relaying messages throughout the weekend by way of Facebook posts from various people.”

With their 4x4x48 Goggins Challenge successfully completed, Lanzel and Wolfe remarked that they hope the endeavor showcases the value of setting goals and working hard, not only for personal gain, but also for

the sake of others.

“We often are more willing when we are doing something for others than we are for ourselves,” Lanzel said. “The idea of community is necessary to the human experience and is something we see less and less with every passing day. We want this to serve as a reminder of the power of coming together as one and working hard for the sake of another. Kurt and I agree that this challenge wouldn’t have been completed to the caliber it was without the motivation of doing it for the two families, as well as the encouragement from all the people around us.”

The GoFundMe for the Walter and Schutz families will remain open until midnight on Friday, June 12. Anyone interested in donating can do so at https:// gofund.me/5658623d4.