NEW BERLIN – After successfully completing a 70-mile Half-Full Ironman race at a cancer research fundraiser, long distance runner Thomas Lawson has collected $2,655 and is hoping for additional donations before his Nov. 1 deadline.

Lawson competed in the Oct. 3 event in Ellicott City, Maryland to support the Livestrong Foundation and the Ulman Cancer Research Fund.

Lawson created the personal goal of completing his first-ever half Ironman race a year earlier and after accomplishing it in September, he elected to run a second 70-mile race for cancer awareness just three weeks later.

“This isn’t your ordinary triathlon. The half full triathlon is a 70-mile fight to support young adults affected by cancer,” explained Lawson.

“They chose the distance of 70 miles versus the more well known 70.3 mile distance for this race for one important reason. 70,000 is the estimated number of young adults diagnosed with cancer each year.”