Sports
Magician Runs 116 Miles Around Central Park Loop, Sets New Record
Long-distance runner and magician Oz Pearlman set the record early Saturday morning, while also raising $100,000 for Ukrainian children.
UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — It is even more impressive than pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Ultra-runner and magician Oz Pearlman just set a record for the number of laps run around the iconic 6.1-mile road in Central Park.
Pearlman ran 19 loops, which is a staggering 116 miles, 18 miles more than the previous park record set just last year.
Pearlman ran nonstop from 6 a.m. on Friday to 1 a.m. on Saturday. The record-setting effort was in support of the Save the Children Ukraine Relief Fund.
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Pearlman ended up raising roughly $100,000.
"As a parent of three young children, my heart breaks seeing the horrific violence in Ukraine and the impact it is having on so many kids, and families," Pearlman wrote in an Instagram post on March 30. "It is hard to imagine what they are going through during this unjust war."
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He also matched the first $10,000 donated to the fundraiser.
Pearlman works as a mentalist and magician. He came in third place on America's Got Talent in 2015.
He's also been a very successful runner, winning the New Jersey Marathon four times and winning the 50-mile Chicago Ultra Marathon in 2015.
A video of Pearlman's audition on America's Got Talent and subsequent performances on the show has more than 14 million views on YouTube.
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