On January 1, Derek Mitchell resolved to shed weight from his then 570-pound frame.

At first, it was a solo effort.

For two months, Mitchell logged daily, one-mile walks around a park in Kansas City, Missouri, and gave his diet a healthy makeover. Then his sister, a marathon runner, inspired him to set a new goal to supplement his weight-loss aspirations: finish a 5K every month for the rest of the year.

The Big 12 Run 5K in March started the streak. His hard-fought, gutsy finish in 1:27:44 captured the attention of spectators. Once Mitchell’s story hit the press, it went viral.

He's not alone in his endeavor anymore.

Now he has close to 15,000 supporters on his Facebook page. He’s also become a celebrity within the local running community—at races that he participates in or volunteers at, he’s recognized regularly.

“It’s just been outrageously positive,” Mitchell told Runner’s World Newswire about the encouragement he’s received. “From the messages I’ve been getting, the amount of people I’m helping to inspire, it makes [the attention] completely worth it. One person said she saw my story, then signed up and completed her first 5K last week.

“Then there’s a lady who, after seeing my story, signed up to walk her second 5K with me in July,” Mitchell added.

In April, he finished the Rock the Parkway 5K in a time of 1:19:17. Then on Saturday, Mitchell fulfilled May’s race at the Running with the Cows 5K. He crossed the line in 1:16:34.

“I keep getting a PR at every race, and I’m hoping I can continue that,” he said. “I try to jog at the beginning and then sprint at the finish as much as possible.”

To date, Mitchell is down a total of 75 pounds. At the OCR Warrior Atlas event he attended last month, he picked up a 50-pound and 25-pound wreck bag, which were representative of the weight he’s lost.

A 50 and 25 pound wreck bag, indicative of the weight I've lost so far. Posted by Derek Mitchell on Saturday, April 25, 2015

“It actually took me a little bit to get them up there,” Mitchell said. “One of the commenters [on that photo] said, ‘The best part is now you can drop that and walk away.’ It felt good knowing that I could drop that 75 pounds and not have to worry about it anymore.”

Mitchell said he now averages about two miles per day, and “I end up walking a 5K every week whether or not I'm walking one for real,” he added.

“It’s increased my energy level,” said Mitchell, who hopes to lose at least 250 pounds. “I’m more apt to want to get out to walk now. I’m enjoying it more.”

He’ll notch a second 5K at the end of the month, and to check June off of his to-do list, Mitchell will attend the Wounded Warrior 5K in Dallas. He’s also gotten “talked into” doing the Rock the Parkway Half Marathon next April.

“I’m just working toward completing my minimum of one 5K a month for the rest of the year. But I want to keep stepping up my distances. I keep telling people I might be ready for 10Ks next year, but I might be ready by the end of this year.”

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