Rae Heim, 18, approaches the finish line at the Manhattan Beach pier with fellow runners late Wednesday morning. PHOTO BY ESTHER KANG
Heim and her sister make their last strides to the end of the pier among cheers and applause from the crowd. PHOTO BY ESTHER KANG
Heim and runners head back to the entrance of the pier where a large crowd awaits. PHOTO BY ESTHER KANG
Mayor Wayne Powell congratulates Heim on finishing her journey. PHOTO BY ESTHER KANG
Powell presents Heim with a City of Manhattan Beach certificate of recognition. PHOTO BY ESTHER KANG
Skechers' CEO Michael Greenberg presents Heim with new sneakers, following the announcement that the company will donate 1,000 pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls in her honor. PHOTO BY ESTHER KANG
Heim and her mother Lesleh share an emotional hug. PHOTO BY ESTHER KANG
Rae Heim, the 18-year-old who began running barefoot across the country in April from Boston, finished her eight-month trek late Thursday morning at the Manhattan Beach pier among a crowd of family members and local fans, which included mayor Wayne Powell and Skechers CEO Michael Greenberg. Not only is she the youngest person to ever run across the U.S., she is the only person to run it barefoot. Heim embarked on this feat to raise awareness and donations for Soles4Souls, a Nashville-based shoe charity that provides footwear for those in need.
“Barefoot running, also called “natural running”, is the act of running without footwear. Throughout human history, running barefoot was the natural way to run, and cultures such as the Tarahumara people in Mexico still practice it today. Barefoot running became popular in the latter half of the 20th century, as notable Olympic runners such as Abebe Bikila, Bruce Tulloh, and Zola Budd participated barefoot.” from Wikipedia
RELATED: Barefoot runner Patrick Sweeney of Manhattan Beach is known as the shoeless wonder.
