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Aaron Porter is a man on a mission. Giving up drinking in 1998 and smoking two years later, he took up running. Before he knew it, his new hobby had become his life’s passion, and he began taking part in marathons, half-marathons and ultra-marathons, running thousands of miles in a single year. Running, Aaron notes, was his recovery.

Now, though, he wants to help others recover. With the goal of running the entire length of Japan, from Kyushu to Hokkaido, Aaron is aiming to raise as much money and awareness for tsunami relief as he can. To do this, however, he needs sponsorship. Which is where you come in.

Starting in January 2015, Aaron plans to run from the southernmost point of mainland Japan up to Tokyo to take part in the annual Tokyo Marathon. He’ll then continue his journey northeast, passing through Fukushima right around the time of the four-year anniversary of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, finishing his run up in Hokkaido in April.

By completing this tremendous journey, Aaron hopes to generate money through donations to give to tsunami relief efforts in Japan, helping those who lost their homes and loves ones three and a half years ago.

▼ Aaron’s planned route. On foot.

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Here’s the man himself, in a superbly well-made video, to give you more details:

In total, Aaron is hoping to generate US$35,000 for the cause, taking only enough to cover his flights, accommodation, meals and the like from the money he raises. As well as working two jobs, studying for his degree, and of course training, he has so far managed to accrue $1,765, but he needs help to get his project noticed and generate some real cash for the people of Japan.

The good news is, this being the internet and donations being accepted from all over the world, anyone can help. So if you’d like to donate to this noble cause or learn more about Aaron’s once-in-a-lifetime adventure, head over to his GoFundMe page or visit his blog. After all, a couple of dollars will hurt a lot less than doing the run yourself, right?

Images courtesy of Aaron Porter