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Schools

Burke Sets Sand-Running Record at Hermosa 24

The local father and athlete completed a 24-hour run on Monday, raising more than $5,000 for Hermosa schools.

After 18 hours running in the sand, Christian Burke limped under his pop-up tent early Monday morning at the base of the Hermosa Beach Pier.

"My big toe is numb," he said.

Unfortunately, Burke's other toes had feeling and hurt with open blisters caked with sand. Such is the price of running 24 hours to raise more than $5,000 for the cash-strapped Hermosa Beach Education Foundation, as well as set a new world record.

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"That's a good thing," Burke said of his numb toe. "It's defending itself. If it hurt, that'd be bad."

Burke, an ultra endurance athlete, ran for 83.04 miles within the 24-hour period in the deep sand between the Hermosa and Manhattan Beach piers. The previous running-in-sand world record was for 62.28 miles.

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Burke had a faithful group of friends acting as a supporting cast to organize the event, called the Hermosa 24. But it was his idea and energy that saw it through.

About the time Burke's toe started to go numb, he was tending to his declining energy level by adjusting his diet during a break between laps. Burke took brief breaks under his tent after each 3.4-mile lap between the piers. 

"I need some solid foods," Burke said, limping under his tent as the sky lightened early this morning. "An avocado."

And so Burke ate an avocado, followed by a breakfast burrito after the next lap, with a sprinkling of fruit and vitamins as well as painkillers. During the following lap, Burke announced to those running with him that he needed a break. He leaned over and grabbed his knees.

"I'm burning through calories now like a hummingbird," Burke said, describing himself as so depleted that his body was hypersensitive to the energy he was obtaining from the various foods he was eating.

Running in the sand will do that, according to those who ran alongside Burke for a lap or two after making a donation and signing a release waiver.

"It was a shock to my system," said Gretchen Vizzi, a teacher at Hermosa Valley School where Burke's 10-year-old daughter Halle is a student.

"Running in sand does something to your body," said Alex Manners of Hermosa Beach. "My hip started hurting, but I didn't feel like complaining about it."

It wasn't just sand Burke was running in. He was running in abrasive Southern California sand along the Strand wall. Burke ran in that area to raise awareness among the onlookers from Fiesta Hermosa and hopefully raise more money.

It might have worked. Gary, homeless in Hermosa, dropped his last dollar in the big donations jar after witnessing Burke struggle back and forth.

After Burke finished his 24th and final lap just before noon Monday, about 24 hours after he started, TV camera crews, friends, supporters and even Mayor Michael DiVirgilio were on hand to greet and congratulate him.

Burke invited all to attend a celebratory after-party at the Union Cattle Co. But before he headed off to shower, he collapsed in a camping chair under his tent and reflected on his accomplishment.

"The hardest part was the last two laps," Burke said. "As soon as I started thinking about the end that's when it began to get a bit dramatic and my brain began to shut off.

"I didn't know what it would be like to run that distance in sand. Nobody knew, right? Well, it was as unforgiving as I expected it to be. But you know, coming out here and doing it and seeing for myself, it was a handful. It was tough."

Burke, who owns a local nutrition store, has competed for years in lengthy endurance events around the world.

"As far as difficulty, I've probably had more difficult," said Burke, who trained for eight weeks in the sand for the Hermosa 24. "But the drama, the excitement, the support, the crowd, the community, with everybody involved, that really puts this one at the top as far as emotion goes."

Burke said he planned to attend the after-party, then go home and "do a whole lot of nothing." Tuesday morning he said that he plans to walk his daughter to school.

"I can't wait to bring her to school," he said. "She's going to be so proud. It's going to be such a good moment tomorrow. I'm excited to do that for her and the school."

But for the rest of the week, however, Burke said he plans to drive her to school— and stay off those tender feet.

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