A runner many Erie residents may remember from this winter has reached an incredible milestone. Noah Coughlan has officially completed a run through all 50 states, becoming just the third person ever to accomplish the feat entirely on foot.
Coughlan finished his 260-day, more than 5,400-mile journey in Oʻahu, Hawaii, on the Fourth of July, just eight miles from Pearl Harbor. He says crossing the finish line was an emotional moment after nearly nine months on the road.
During the journey, Coughlan stopped in Erie and faced some of the toughest conditions of the run, including lake-effect snow. But the mission was about more than the miles.
But for Caughlin, the miles were only part of the mission. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, he spent the journey asking people across the country what the American flag means to them, collecting perspectives from people of different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs…