If you've ever stopped midrun to remove gravel or other debris from your shoe, you know that one tiny rock can cause a world of discomfort. Now imagine the universe of discomfort that would arise from running on gravel without shoes (or socks). Imagine the feeling of hundreds of tiny rocks jabbing your soles with every step. And imagine continuing to run that way for 18 miles...then proceeding to run on pavement for a few thousand more.

“Barefoot” Jake Brown doesn't have to imagine it. The 28-year-old, who began a cross-country trek on March 5 in Huntington Beach, California, endured an 18-mile, crushed gravel stretch near the beginning of the journey that ended Saturday in Rockaway Park, New York.

To cover the distance without shoes, patience was key, Brown told Runner’s World. Rough portions, including that gravel road through a windmill farm in California, had to be navigated step by excruciating step.

“I was hardly running that section,” said Brown, who took the gravel road to avoid getting arrested on the main highway. “It took me eight hours to cover 11 miles. My feet were inflamed. I was literally in tears...But the reason I can run these distances without shoes on is because when I know I'm going to cause damage, I throw my hands up and say, 'That's it! Time to rest.'"

Brown, who averaged about 20 miles per day, believes he is one of the first individuals to run across the U.S. without shoes. Others, including Rae Heim, have finished most of the distance unshod but wore shoes for some segments. After more than 3,000 miles of ground-pounding, Brown said his feet are in “good condition.”

“The soles are not as hard as you might expect, but they’re thick,” Brown said. “They form around the stuff I’m stepping on.”

Brown runs down a highway during his trek across the country. Jake Brown

Sponsors, donations, and help from strangers supported the Rhinebeck, New York, native's run, which doubled as a fundraiser for the Semper Fi Fund, an organization that provides resources to ill and injured Marines and their families. A friend of Brown's, whose foot was shattered by an IED in Afghanistan five years ago, suggested the charity to Brown, who said he's raised about $2,700 so far.

Brown said the other purpose of his journey was to promote a lifestyle of cooperation and mindfulness.

“If a human being on their own naked soles can cross an entire continent and if that person is supported along the way by other people, particularly strangers who just meet them in the moment, it can show that we’re all neighbors and we should start acting like that,” he said.

Initially, Brown planned to complete the run entirely unsupported. As his story spread online, more and more strangers offered support. During the first three months, he slept under a roof fewer than 10 times. (He carried camping supplies and food in a pack that weighed more than 50 pounds.) For the final two months, he crashed on couches and in hotels almost every night.

He decided to accept the assistance when it was offered because it reflected the ethos of his run: “My message is simple,” he wrote on his website. “You do have the means to help others, and in doing so you will help yourself.”

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