I don’t remember how exactly I came to know about Sam Felsenfeld on twitter… I think it had something to do with a similar taste in elementary school playground humor… but when I heard about his resolution to run 60 marathons this year to help raise awareness for Train 4 Autism I was nothing short of astounded.

Now of course, I’m fully aware that there have been people who recently set world records of over 100+ marathons in a year (I forget his name) but running for a cause outside of yourself is in a different field altogether. If you are not familiar with how Train 4 Autism works: athletes get to choose their sport, their own event and *where* their funds go. Sam’s is obviously running.

In case you are wondering where the name comes from, “Operation Jack” is named after Sam’s son who is currently struggling with autism. After watching his son struggle day after day with his condition, Sam decided he wanted to do something to make a difference in his honor. Through his training, work and tireless effort, Sam hopes to help grow Train 4 Autism so many others can receive help from the organization for years to come.

Sam has already completed 4 (and we’re still in January) out of 60 marathons for the cause and is still traveling training and racing…

If you are interested in helping Sam and his non-profile Operation Jack, all you have to do is sign up for one (or more) of the races on his schedule and pick “Operation Jack” as your running club. That’s it. Fundraising is a plus but what they are really focused on right now is participation. I’ll be joining Team Operation Jack for at least SIX races next year (I know I’m shocked too).

Oh, and be sure to check out www.operationjack.com