Sean “P. Diddy” Combs completed the New York marathon yesterday (Nov. 2), despite suffering leg cramps for about half the distance, as part of an effort to raise millions of dollars for needy city children. The hip-hop and fashion entrepreneur ran the 26.2 mile course in the official time of four hours, 14 minutes and 54 seconds.
“I’ve never experienced mental or physical pain like that,” Combs told reporters after becoming the 11,359th of 35,100 entrants to cross the Central Park finish line. “But it was a beautiful experience.”
Combs said he raised $2 million for New York’s public schools, children suffering from HIV and AIDS and his own charity to foster social programs. Combs, who had undercover police officers assigned as bodyguards, was shown on the live NBC-TV broadcast grimacing in agony from cramps and fending off admirers.
“I was in real trouble and I wanted to stop. It was a life changing experience because I did not stop,” said Combs, who ran the marathon, his first, under his proper name.
Combs, who called the effort “Diddy Runs the City,” said in a marathon diary published by the New York Post that he trained for less than two months and had an injured right knee. A two-part MTV documentary of the same name tracks his preparation for the run and fundraising efforts.
He said his goals were to finish under four hours and quicker than popular talk show host Oprah Winfrey’s 1994 U.S. Marine Corps marathon time of 4 hours 29 minutes. He said he would appear today on the syndicated “Oprah” television show.
Kenyan Martin Lel won the men’s race and his compatriot Margaret Okayo won the women’s race. Lel clocked two hours, 10 minutes and 30 seconds and Okayo’s time set a new record at two hours 22 minutes and 31 seconds.
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