BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Anthony Ulloa is running nearly 300 miles from Bakersfield to Sacramento to honor a close friend who struggled with mental health.
The Kern County man said the cause is personal to him.
"So I have a friend who's no longer here with us because of this issue. He went through a lot of pain."
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, nearly 1 in 10 men experience depression or anxiety, but less than half receive treatment.
Ulloa said he came up with the idea for the run just a week ago. His family has been supportive since he told them his goal of running to the state capitol. While he runs, a family member is either riding a bike or following him in an RV.
"I mean, I'm grateful that they decided to follow through with it with me. And now, I mean, now here we are in the Kings and Kingsbury."
Ulloa kicked off his journey Monday, hitting the road before sunrise each day and starting his runs between 5:30 and 6 in the morning.
"So I split them in a day. So maybe when I wake up in the morning, I run for two, three hours, take a break, and then I go back at it, run for another two, three hours, and then rest the night."
He started sharing his journey on social media and said the support he is receiving is helping him stay motivated.
"Oh, that's been a tremendous help. It's been very great. People I don't even know that are just telling me, hey, keep pushing. Keep going. I mean, I'm just glad for social media being out there because it's a lot of support."
Ulloa has a message for men who may be struggling with mental health.
"Any men out there that are just going through some time, just remember, you're not alone. There's a lot of people out there that are going through a lot, that are going through these times. Just stay strong, continue to be motivated, and like I said, man, just try to reach out. Reach out to a friend, reach out to family members. Reach out to me even if you want to, and we can talk."
Ulloa hopes to reach Sacramento by Sunday or Monday.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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