Tom Knoll, 79, has been looking forward to seeing Smokey Bear for the past 45 days.
Smokey Bear Park in International Falls marked the end of Knoll’s 1,650- mile running trek across the country Thursday afternoon. He took off running May 28 from Jackson Square, New Orleans, and arrived at the park to end his journey in International Falls and at the Canadian border.
“Well guys, this is it,” Knoll said with a smile as Falls residents greeted him on his run into the park. The retired U.S. Marine Corps veteran’s goal was to raise $1 million for various charity organizations.
Falls resident Norm Wood was one of a handful of people who came out to greet Knoll. He was excited to meet the runner at the end of his journey, he said. Wood used to run cross-country and in marathons.
“That’s really interesting — it’s incredible,” Wood said of Knoll’s journey.
Wood’s children, Tanner and Lila Wood, along with his wife Nicci Wood sported smiles as they heard about the run.
One item drew the most attention — a bag of loose change that Knoll collected as he ran across the country. The children helped Knoll count the pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters that he kept. Knoll plans to donate it to charity along with other money he’s raised. As of press time, the total amount he raised was not calculated.
Knoll also showed a car key he found, which he will donate to a Twin Cities organization that collects keys to sell for charity.
Knoll ran about 33 miles each day, and said he was ahead of schedule.
He planned to take a three-day break in Memphis, but just kept running, Knoll said.
“I said, ‘Let’s get it over with,’” he said.
Throughout the country, Knoll had a relative or friend run with him in segments, he said. His son Warren Knoll ran with him from Bemidji to the Falls.
“I’m totally proud of him,” Warren Knoll said of this father. “You only live once.”
Tom Knoll said he doesn’t take full credit for what he accomplished.
“It’s a team effort, you can’t do it without help,” he said.
Others at the park asked Tom Knoll how far he runs before he takes a break. He replied, 15 miles.
Marcie Rasmussen of the Rainy Lake Medical Center Auxiliary told Knoll she admires his journey.
“I think that’s amazing,” she said. “Especially at your age — I’m 78 and I could never run like that.”
Knoll is from Oahu, Hawaii, and chose New Orleans as his starting point so he could travel along the Mississippi River. He had never been to International Falls before, but had heard of the Icebox of the Nation.
As a retired history teacher, Knoll said it was interesting to think about the history of the land he ran across.
“When you’re crossing the country on freeways, you don’t see nothing,” he said. “Here, if you see something, you can just stop.”
Although the weather cooperated and Tom Knoll said he was “lucky” he had good weather, running in bad conditions is something he’s done before.
In 2008, he ran through flood waters in Joplin, Mo., he said. He also ran across the country from San Diego to Washington D.C. three years ago. The runner has raised $1 million in his efforts since 1976 and hopes he has raised $1 million more on his most recent run.
He was raising money for four charities — the Sunshine Foundation, which aims to grant the wishes of seriously ill, handicapped, and abused children; the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that provides programs and services to severely injured service members during the time between active duty and transition to civilian life; the Jimmy V Foundation, which is dedicated to saving lives by helping find a cure for cancer; and the Rotary Club of Honolulu, which works to eliminate polio.
Knoll set up T-shirts for each of the charities in the grass at Smokey Bear to teach people about the efforts of the organizations. A few people purchased his book, “Why Not a Million?” The book is his diary of the triumphs and tribulations of cross-country running, with all proceeds donated to charity.
Terry Randolph, commander of the International Falls VFW Post 2948, presented Knoll with an award upon his arrival.
“As a fellow veteran, I wanted to say welcome,” Randolph said, presenting him with a certificate of appreciation for “unselfish fundraising for organizations.” Knoll’s face turned solemn as he accepted the award.
Knoll encourages other people to run as well. Tanner Wood asked Knoll for his autograph and said he likes to run and can finish a mile in six minutes. Knoll told the child to give him a call when he reaches the goal of running a mile in under six minutes.
“Five minutes, 59 seconds, you give me a call,” Knoll said as he handed a business card to Tanner with a smile. “We’ll see you in the Olympics up here.”
Most of Knoll’s daily runs began at 2:30 a.m., he said. The end of his journey doesn’t mark the end of running for him, which he plans to continue at home in Hawaii.
To top off his journey, Knoll will take a 24-hour run in the Twin Cities to raise money to help an 11-year-old Roseville girl who suffers from cerebral palsy go to Disney World.
Over the decades of running for charity, Knoll has run more than 75,000 miles — enough to circle the globe three times.
Many say it’s a privilege to meet Knoll. As he wrapped up meeting people in the Falls, one local person joked, “you better go take a nap.”
“I’ve met a lot of neat people,” Knoll said. “I’m very lucky. I feel great.”
