Level 5 Motorsports owner Scott Tucker understands a thing or two about the commitment and willpower required to succeed in endurance sports. As a champion sports car racer, he has spent his career competing in the world’s most prestigious endurance races — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and the 12 Hours of Sebring among them.
It was a combination of Tucker’s appreciation for endurance challenges and his dedication to philanthropy that led him to sponsor Bob Schluben over a year ago.
Schluben is a 44-year-old police officer from Lenexa, Kansas, who, at the beginning of 2013, pledged to run 52 marathons before the end of the year in support of two local charities. Less than 11 months later, what was at first a romantic notion is now a reality.
This past Sunday, Schluben wrapped up his 52nd marathon of 2013 five weeks ahead of schedule at the annual Gobbler Grind Marathon in Overland Park, Kansas. Schluben’s extraordinary efforts raised almost $30,000 for Sunflower House and the Surviving Spouse and Family Endowment Fund (S.A.F.E.).
“It’s an amazing accomplishment,” Tucker said. “Our entire organization appreciates the opportunity to support such a great cause and such a great person. We’re all very proud of Bob and we’re glad that Level 5 was able to play a part in helping him succeed. And, we’re thrilled to support two wonderful, worthy charities.”
Sunflower House is an organization committed to the protection of children from physical and sexual abuse through education, advocacy, and forensic and medical services.
S.A.F.E.’s mission is to support the families of Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, and Emergency Service Personnel in the Kansas City Metropolitan area who have fallen in the line of duty. The organization provides both emotional and financial support, in an effort to ease the pain and suffering felt by these families.
“I’m running for the police officers who aren’t around anymore to take care of their families,” Schluben said. “I’m running for the kids who can’t stand up for themselves because they’re helpless. What I put myself through at every race is nothing compared to what a family goes through when they lose a loved one and what an abused child goes through.”
Upon completing the Gobbler Grind Marathon in Overland Park, Schluben has racked up 1,362.4 total marathon miles in just under 11 months. When his 179.6 training miles are included, his total mileage so far in 2013 amounts to 1,542 miles. To put that in perspective, the distance from Miami to Boston along I-95 is only 1,490 miles.
The feat is remarkable, but according to Schluben, he’s not finished yet. Because he reached the 52-marathon target early by running multiple marathons in the same weekend on a few occasions, he plans to finish out the year by continuing his pace of one marathon per week. That puts him on track to tally five more marathons before the year is out, for a grand total of 57.
“I want to congratulate Bob Schluben, once more, on his incredible achievement,” Tucker said. “His selflessness and dedication are truly inspirational, and Level 5 is proud to sponsor such unwavering commitment to service and generosity.”
