JOHNSON COUNTY - People train for months, even years, to run a marathon. One Coralville man is running two in the same day. He has two counties supporting his run for a good cause.

If completing a marathon is more of a mental challenge, then the students at Penn Elementary School gave Ron Beck a cerebral surge as he crossed the halfway point of a 26.2 mile run. They chanted, “Go Ron, go” as he ran through North Liberty. He would need that push again in another hour as he started his second marathon of the day. His wife, Kathy Beck said, “He said, 'I wanna run a double marathon.' I was like, 'what?'"

With each step of his 52-plus mile jog Beck got closer to his goal of raising $10,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He said, “I have been surrounded by diabetes my whole life."

His brothers, father and some in-laws have diabetes. Beck runs for them. He believes the cure is right around the corner, or possibly on the other side of the next hill. Meanwhile, his support team was with him every step of the way. The team includes his wife, coworkers and an EMT. The minivan they ride in has all the supplies someone would need for running more than 50 miles. There are even several changes of clothes. Support team member Jeff Lovett said, "You don't run 52 miles in the same set of clothes."

In the morning, Beck ran south from Cedar Rapids, through North Liberty and Coralville into Iowa City. Downtown looked and sounded like a finish line when Beck arrived. The crowd cheered him on. Beck said, “I’m doing Ok. Doing OK."

That is good because this is just the halfway point. Beck still needed to run back to Cedar Rapids. But the crowd sets his mind right for another 26.2.

Ron Beck finished his double marathon about 5:15 Friday evening. He beat his goal of 10 and a-half-hours. A JDRF spokesperson says Beck should raise the $10,000 he wanted.

Email Steve Nicoles at Steve.Nicoles@kcrg.com