If committing to finish a 5K a month in 2015 wasn’t a lofty enough resolution for Derek Mitchell, the man whose weight-loss story went viral in March, he now has a marathon on his race calendar. And it’s six months from now.

“Either I’m inspired or crazy, or possibly a mix,” Mitchell told Runner’s World Newswire.

At his most recent weigh-in—he walked the three-mile total distance to and from the doctor’s office—the scale showed 538.2 pounds. Since he started his journey in December, he’s lost a total of 86.5 pounds.

So far, Mitchell, 34, has crossed the finish lines of five 5Ks, his most recent being a Color Run in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, at the end of May. His personal best for the 3.1-mile distance stands at 1:16:34.

Last month, Mitchell committed to doing a half marathon in the spring, but the idea to tackle double that distance came from a friend who sent him an article about a man named Kelly Gneiting, a sumo wrestler who holds the Guinness World Record for the “Heaviest Person to Complete a Marathon.” Gneiting weighed 400 pounds when he finished the L.A. Marathon (9:48:52) in 2011.

“It got me thinking, if I could find a marathon that doesn’t have a time limit that would allow me to just keep trucking along for 10 hours, it would be very achievable,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell researched races that don't shut down their courses until the final runner finishes. He landed on the Honolulu Marathon—set for December 13—and reached out to the race organizers. After learning more about his story, the event offered him a complimentary entry.

“I’m losing about 12 pounds per month, so if I keep that up, I’ll be at about 450 pounds by December, which, to think about that is awesome,” Mitchell said. “Even if I weigh less than 400 pounds, I’m still doing [the marathon].”

Mitchell has already found a walking plan that he’ll start next week, which he hopes will help him build endurance over the next six months.

“After the Color Run, I felt like I could’ve gone farther,” Mitchell said. “I’ve gotten to where I can walk three miles without too much trouble. My weight is falling off, so I feel like I can keep going farther distances.”

For now, though, Mitchell is gearing up for the Wounded Warrior Military Miles 5K in Irving, Texas, on Saturday.

So many runners expressed interest in walking with Mitchell that the race will devote a separate start time for him and his supporters. He’ll return the favor on Sunday by handing out medals to the 10K finishers.

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