VIDEO: McRunner Jogs Into Town

37-year-old Joseph D’Amico has run 15 marathons but his last race was a little different.

“I ate only McDonalds for 30 days,” he said about his training strategy for the Los Angeles marathon on March 20. “I completed the race in 2 hrs. and 36 min. which was a personal best.”

D’Amico’s diet was a ploy to raise money for theRonald McDonald House, a charity that family members of his volunteer at. “We raised over $40,000.”

Now the Palatine resident is on a mission to raise even more.

“Right now we’re just trying to continue our message of giving back to the Ronald McDonald House Charities and having fun and sharing our story,” he said at an event in Deerfield on Wednesday.

Partly sponsored by the McDonalds of Northbrook, joggers gathered at  in Deerfield to take a run together. Mizuno’s “Run with Us” mobile running lab was also on site for local residents to try out new sneakers.

D’Amico said he loves meeting new people, chatting and of course grabbing a bite together.

But how does the athlete stay so fit on a McDonalds diet?

“I think for me it really solidified this idea that it’s all about choices. No matter if you’re at  or you’re at , it comes down to making the right choices,” he said.

“I was able to do that and able to get the fuel and able to get the result I was looking for.”