He’s come a long way since his days as a heavy drinker and is running 52.4 miles to prove it

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Sixteen thousand people ran in last year’s Honolulu Marathon, including Anthony Murata ― who crossed the finish line in a little more than four hours.

It was his first marathon, but it won’t be his last.

“I need another challenge,” he said. “I could run the marathon again or I could create my own challenge.”

You’ll understand what that means in a minute. First, it’s important to know what Anthony battled back from.

For more than 20 years, his Achilles heel was alcohol.

“I drank every day. I wasn’t the kind of drinker that started in the morning, but I would binge every night,” he said.

Drinking to excess was a raging wildfire that threatened to torch every area of his life. He was drowning until he said enough is enough.

With his family’s help and professional counseling, he turned his back on the bottle.

“Once I got clean and after about 30 days my whole mentality changed,” he said. “Doors open up in your mind. I can do this. I can do that. "

His this and that became physical fitness. He dove into bodyboarding and long-distance running.

Now, exercise fuels the life alcohol tried to drown.

“That is something I look forward to every day, and it’s something that will keep me from drinking. I know that if I have a drink it will continue to maybe more, and I will not be able to wake up the next day and do the things that I have set in my mind that I need to do,” he said.

At the top of his to-do list is topped is that personal challenge he spoke about.

On Sunday, Murata will run the equivalent distance of two marathons ― 52.4 miles from Makapuu to Haleiwa to raise money for the Institute for Human Services.

“They feed people. They shelter people. Psychological care. Jobs. Housing. They get people back on their feet. It’s kind of that intervention,” he said.

Telling his story in public is way outside of his comfort zone, but he did it in hopes that people who hear it will donate to IHS.

“If we can help people through this publicity, that’s all that really matters,” he said.

If you see him on the road on Sunday, running his personal race, honk your horn or give him a shout out to let him know he’s on the right track.

“Oh, please. I’ll give you a shaka and a smile,” he said.

Copyright 2022 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.