By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Kallup McCoy II eats a small bowl of oatmeal, drinks his coffee, and then laces up his shoes for another day of running. It is the morning of Friday, May 16, day 56 of his Transcontinental Run from San Diego, Calif. to Wilmington, N.C., and he is starting the day in a familiar place – his hometown of Cherokee, N.C.
McCoy, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), has been doing a Transcontinental Run from San Diego, Calif. to Wilmington, N.C. to raise money for RezHOPE Recovery & Consulting Services and to raise awareness for recovery from drug addiction and mental health challenges.
Kallup McCoy II (neon yellow shirt), a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, runs with local supporters in downtown Cherokee, N.C., on the morning of Friday, May 16 on day 56 of his Transcontinental Run (San Diego, Calif. to Wilmington, N.C.). He is running to raise money for RezHOPE Recovery & Consulting Services as well as raising awareness for recovery from drug addiction and mental health challenges. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
“Every single emotion that you can experience as a human being, I’ve gone through over and over and over again. When you do an ultra-race, or you do an ultra-run, people will always describe life in a day and I’ve had 56 of those. I’ve been very emotional – crying, laughing, joy, sorrow, not knowing if I was going to be able to finish. It’s been a roller coaster.”
This run has not been easy on McCoy. He has already gone through five pairs of running shoes, and he estimates he’ll run through two to three more before he reaches Wilmington.
“The fatigue that I have right now is just through the roof. So, it’s probably more difficult to get out of bed and get moving. But, being out here and seeing everybody gives me some motivation and inspiration.”
A big source of support for McCoy is his wife, Katelynn Ledford-McCoy, who is also an EBCI tribal member. “It’s definitely been a whole plethora of different emotions. It’s been hard at times to watch, just to see him push himself to such physical exhaustion. But then even in the same breath, saying that, just running through Bryson and then getting ready to run through here and seeing all the love and support, I’m just reminded just how much support we have. I’m just really proud of him. I knew him in addiction so watching him and just knowing how hard he’s worked over these past years, it’s been an emotional roller coaster to say the least.”
She added, “I think a lot of people thought that because he runs, this is going to be easy for him, but it definitely has not been easy. Moreso for me, because I’m, of course, concerned and go into protective mode or get really worried about him being out there on the highways and that physical exhaustion…it’s been scary.”
For any athlete, nutrition and hydration are important. For an event such as this, it is constant. “If I’m doing well with fueling, I’m eating about every 20-30 minutes, which is pretty difficult because food just doesn’t taste good anymore. You just get so tired of eating it becomes a job.”
As he has traveled from state-to-state, McCoy has enjoyed each day’s run and each day’s experience. “It’s been really awesome. We’ve gotten to meet a lot of different people in different states, and I did a live podcast on the road. That was pretty cool. Just hearing people reach out to me through DMs and messaging and talking about how maybe they’ve lost a family member, or they’ve struggled themselves.”
McCoy puts on his shoes in preparation for a 50+ mile run on Day 56 of his Transcontinental Run (San Diego, Calif. to Wilmington, N.C.). He is shown at the Cherokee Post Office in Cherokee, N.C. where his day’s run began. McCoy has already gone through five pairs of running shoes, and he estimates he will run through two to three more before he reaches Wilmington.
When asked what has been the most enjoyable about the run, he noted, “The people. Hanging out with my crew…the people that have come out that have crewed me were total strangers, a lot of them. Now it’s like we’re best friends or brothers or sisters. When you come out here and you share adversity and you’re going through some challenging situations, that’s going to grow your bond really strong. So, the people that I’ve gotten to meet along the way, my crew, and the sunsets, especially out west…it’s hard to beat those sunsets out there. That’s been one of my favorite parts.”
Several runners from Cherokee came out to run the first part of Day 56 with McCoy.
Kiersten Cucumber, an EBCI tribal member and a junior at Swain Co. High School, noted, “What he’s doing, he’s showing us and leading us by example that we can accomplish anything.”
That support has been amazing for McCoy. “I mean, just so much joy and appreciation for the love that I have, that I didn’t even realize. When I came in last night to Bryson, I was expecting 20-30 people to come out and there was well over 100 that showed up. I needed that. It’s the toughest that I’ve experienced this whole time, the fatigue. I’m tired. I’m exhausted. My legs don’t have a lot in them right now, it feels like. But yesterday we were getting closer and closer to town and I was drawing so much strength from that. And, to know that we’ve got so many people that love and support us. That’s encouraging. That’s made this whole journey worth it to see that and to see how it’s impacting people in our community.”
You can support his fundraising efforts by visiting: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/peer-to-peer/kallup-runs-across-america-transcon-run–2025
