The Heart of Kentucky: One man, two dogs, 211 miles. One heart that refused to quit.

On November 21, 2026, I will run 211 miles along US Route 27 from the Tennessee border to Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Not because anyone asked me to. Because 2,000 young people under the age of 25 die every year from sudden cardiac arrest, and most of those deaths are preventable.

I know this because it almost happened to me.

My heart condition did not come with a warning. It was not something I was born with. It showed up suddenly, out of nowhere, with no explanation. One day I was fine. The next day I was fighting for my life. No signs. No reason.

I got lucky. I got the care. I got the second chance.

Now I run. I run far. And I run with my two dogs, Moose and Maverick, who have been at my side through every mile of training, every long day on the road, and every step of this mission.

Why This Matters

Sudden cardiac arrest in young people is not rare. It is rarely detected.

What happened to me happens to thousands of young people every year. The difference is that most of them do not get the second chance I did. A young athlete collapses on a field. A kid walks into a gym and never walks out. A family gets a phone call no parent should ever have to answer.

It does not have to be this way. Awareness, screening, and preparation can catch the conditions that cause sudden cardiac arrest before they become fatal. That is the work this run is about.

The Run

211 miles. Five days. US Route 27, Kentucky. From Strunk to Fort Thomas.

My crew is my family. My parents will follow in a support van. Moose and Maverick will run segments with me. We will pass through 10 counties, multiple hospitals, and communities where this issue is not an abstraction. It is a reality.

This is not a stunt. It is a statement: that one person with a story, two dogs, and a road can move people to care about something that does not get enough attention until it is too late.

Where Your Money Goes

Every dollar raised goes to youth heart health initiatives. Not a portion. Not a percentage. Every dollar.

I pay all operational expenses out of pocket. Gas, gear, food, van. All of it. Your donation does not fund my run. It funds the work that comes after it.

At the close of the campaign, funds will be directed to organizations doing direct work in youth cardiac safety, including the American Heart Association, the Matthew Mangine Jr. "One Shot" Foundation, and others leading the fight against sudden cardiac arrest in young people. Every dollar gets to the people doing the work.

The Goal

$10,000. That is $50 per mile.

It funds the programs that detect heart conditions before they become emergencies. It puts life-saving equipment in places that do not have it yet. It supports the education that teaches coaches, parents, and schools how to respond when seconds matter.

What You Can Do

Donate. Share this page. Tell one person today that sudden cardiac arrest in young people is preventable, not inevitable.

You are not giving to a sob story. You are giving to a solution. You are making it so that the next kid whose heart fails without warning has a chance to stand back up.

That is what 211 miles is for. That is what your donation does.

Thank you.

Kyle Rust The Heart of Kentucky November 21 to 25, 2026

The Heart Of Kentucky

One Man, Two Dogs, 211 Miles. One Heart That Refused To Quit

Team Members