Running Miner Takes on NYC Marathon

After you’ve spent 69 days trapped in a mine, what’s one teensy 26.2-mile run? Edison “The Runner” Peña has agreed to compete in the New York City Marathon, the New York Post reports, accepting an invitation from the organizers. Peña, one of the 33 men recently rescued from a Chilean gold and copper mine, earned his nickname during his ordeal by running six miles a day through the underground tunnels.

Race organizers were originally just planning to invite Peña to various ceremonial events. “We were inviting him to be a guest; we were not inviting him to run. That’s nothing short of mind-blowing,” said the race’s director. But after talking to Peña, they discovered that “he absolutely, 100% wants to participate,” and run all 26.2 miles. The Chilean Consul General says Peña’s “confident he can make it. … He’s not going to beat anyone, but he’s practicing to finish.” (More New York City Marathon stories.)