Please no one say Cole Crosby fell short. Since no one ever ran the length of New Jersey before with a time record in mind, there’s really no basis for comparison. He only fell short, a little, of his own heart and grit, and not by much.

The ultra-marathoner set out to make the run from High Point to Cape May in 40 hours. He did it in 44 1/2. I wrote about Cole on Friday and how he was trying to bring some good to fellow runners by hoping to raise $1,000 for the Road Runners Club of America. He raised over 4 times that. And in a run that started at 2 in the morning on Saturday and went on through the next night and day and ended at 10:30 pm Sunday night, he had many well-wishers and encouragement along the way.

The video from NJ.com shows Crosby being cheered on at an aid station in Bordentown about halfway through his journey.

When he crossed the finished line 4 1/2 hours later than his goal of 6:00 pm, he was accompanied by a police escort. Other runners joined him here and there and at the end. Tightness in his legs wore him down. In the end he occasionally used trekking poles for more support. He says it was the hardest thing he’s ever done.

So at a time when it can feel like America can’t get anything right, Cole Crosby reminded us that we can be optimistic about things, that nothing is impossible if we try hard enough. So please don’t say he fell short. When we need stories about perseverance and overcoming odds so desperately, I would say he was right on time.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski. Any opinions expressed are Jeff Deminski's own.

CHECK OUT: Where NJ's biggest winning lottery tickets were sold

More From SoJO 104.9 FM