The comedian was inspired by Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-2-hour attempt in May.
He’s already a comedy mogul, movie star, Runner’s World cover model, and New York Times bestselling author, but on November 5, Kevin Hart aims to add marathoner to his extensive resume. The 38-year-old announced Saturday that he plans to run the New York City Marathon—his first 26.2.
Hart started running in 2015 while on a comedy tour. On a whim, he decided to host a spontaneous 5K in Boston, posting the details of the run on Twitter the night before. After hundreds showed up, the idea spawned a series of Nike-sponsored pop-up 5Ks, attended by thousands in cities around the country as Hart made stops for his show.
He entered his first official race in August 2016 at Oregon’s Hood to Coast—a 199-mile, 12-person relay. Over three stages in less than 24-hours, he logged nearly 18 miles. A few months later, he appeared, in retro gear, on the cover of .
In May, Nike invited Hart to a Formula 1 track Monza, Italy, to watch the Breaking2 attempt, in which Eliud Kipchoge logged a blazing 2:00:25. Hart said in his announcement that the historic performance inspired him to sign up for his own attempt at the distance, calling it his “moonshot.”
Hart will join an already star-studded marathon field, including supermodel Karlie Kloss, retired NFL player Tiki Barber, running revolutionary Kathrine Switzer, and singer Prince Royce, as they make their way through the city’s five boroughs in to Central Park.
For Hart, the marathon will come during a short break in his Irresponsible Tour. He’s scheduled to perform on October 29 in Mobile, Alabama, and then again on November 10 in Santa Barbara, California.
Source: runnersworld.com
