CT man runs all 169 towns in the state to help sick children

For most of the runners at the Eversource Hartford Marathon , Saturday’s race was the culmination of months of grueling training — an odyssey that would test their will and endurance, and provide immense personal satisfaction at the finish line.

For Shan Riggs, this was a cool down.

Riggs, 46, just finished running more than 1,100 miles through all 169 Connecticut towns, a journey that began on Sept. 8 and ended on Friday, the day before the marathon. He decided to lace up the sneakers as a victory lap of sorts, because, why not? It’s only another 26.2 miles.

Riggs did all of that to benefit the CT Children’s Foundation and Medals4Mettle , which donates medals from race finishers to children and adults fighting debilitating diseases as a way to spread love, kindness and encouragem