A Wiscasset man plans to run 31 miles to raise money and awareness for Parkinson's disease.

Hunter de Garmo, 36, began running seven years ago to fight drug and alcohol addiction. Now he runs distances of 50 miles at a time, as an ultra-marathoner. 

De Garmo has organized “Stride,” a Boothbay Harbor fundraiser for road racers of all levels, and anyone who can either walk, jog or run to raise money for Parkinson’s research.

Running and Parkinson's disease are two important factors in his life.

In 2004, de Garmo learned his mother, Barbara, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. It affects movement and develops gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in one hand.

De Garmo began using running as therapy while living in Vermont. He started gradually by running for two minutes and walking for one. In  spring 2009, he ran his first 5k. As his running for recovery increased, so did the distances. Later that fall, he ran his first marathon.

In 2012, he ran his first ultra-marathon, which is either 50 kilometers or miles. His first one was 50 miles around Lake Cannadaigua in New York state. de Garmo has run three ultra-marathons. The other two were 31 miles. All of his ultra-marathons took between nine and 13 hours.

For de Garmo, running extreme distances was his way of beating addiction.

“It was the only thing that worked,” he said. “In recovery, running shows you what you’re capable of. Before running, the only time I pushed my body to the limit was with drugs and alcohol.”

He developed the idea for “Stride” during one of his long training sessions. He trains inside on the Boothbay Region YMCA indoor track. Besides listening occasionally to music, his runs are dominated by silence. His main focus is making sure his form is perfect for the best possible run.

“Around the track, you constantly see the sign walk, jog, run," he said. "I was thinking about a Parkinson’s fundraiser, but needed a name. That’s when it hit me, Stride.”

The fundraiser is open to everyone whether it’s jogging for a couple laps or showing up and cheering the runners on, said de Garmo. The event is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26.

De Garmo expects his 31-mile run that day will last nearly eight hours.

“I chose a distance that I could handle. The difference between 50K and five miles is huge. I can definitely finish 50K,” de Garmo said.

The Boothbay Region YMCA and de Garmo’s mother’s side of the family are among the fundraiser’s seven current sponsors. The Kohlasch family lives in New York state. They have made financial contributions to the fundraiser.

The BRYMCA has donated the use of the indoor track.

“They’ve been great. I’m here all the time training. So they were really receptive in providing the facility for this great cause,” de Garmo said.

Other sponsors include Hannaford Supermarket, Enchantments (de Garmo’s employer), Cottage Connections of Maine, Hammond Lumber and The Knickerbocker Group.

“There has been a lot of financial support. I haven’t counted it all, but it must be close to $10,000.”

A $10 registration fee is charged to all participants regardless of how far they run. All proceeds go to the Maine Parkinson Society.

De Garmo grew up in Newcastle and attended Lincoln Academy, but he never participated in athletics. These days running gives him a great sense of personal accomplishment. In the future, he hopes — for those afflicted with Parkinson’s — the fundraiser is a stride toward a cure.