Curtis Hargrove’s 310th marathon was a wobbly one. The 35-year-old Canadian ran the gruelling 26.2-mile race in 3-inch red heels, to support Stepping Stones Crisis Society, a non-profit that offers support and outreach for victims of domestic violence. Hargrove did his first 5 kilometre split in 27 minutes. But the challenges of running in heels—the constant pressure on the balls of his feet, the fabric digging into his toes, and pain shooting up his calves with each unsteady step—began to take a toll. “I started to get blisters on the bottom of my feet, and by kilometre 25, I had to take the heels off, get my feet bandaged up,” he told TODAY. “I reminded myself why I was doing it: raising awareness for these women and children,” he says. “The blisters and the pain that I was going through is nothing compared to what these women and children go through every day.” As Hargrove made his way through the marathon course, people shared their own stories of domestic violence with him, including one woman who he says “survived 17 years of it.” “I’ve had women tell me that seeing my story makes them question their view on men, changing their view just because of this one act that I did for them,” he reveals. Finally, after 26.2 miles, Hargrove reached the finish line, completing the race in 7 hours and 5 minutes. But his feet were covered in blisters, his skin was peeling and he was bleeding. Marathon organisers took him to an emergency services tent where his skin was taken care of with ointment and bandaged. Reflecting on the support he received from friends and spectators along the way, Hargrove said the pain was all worth it in the end. The funds raised by Hargrove will help build a new shelter and transitional housing for women and children experiencing domestic abuse

(Picture Courtesy: Instagram/Curtis Hargrove)