BEND, Ore. -- It's rare to find a friend who will go the distance for you.

But when that distance is more than 200 miles -- running -- it's practically unheard of.

"I just wanted to start crying, because it was, you know -- it was a tough race. It was very hard on me," teacher Eric Salkeld said Sunday after reaching the finish line at Bend's Summit High School. "As far as like, you know, it was easy to do, but it was difficult, and it all came together. And to see him there with me, it was pretty cool."

From Thursday to Sunday, Eric Salkeld ran the Cascade Lakes Relay, all by himself.

His solo run was 216.6 miles total, and he said pounding the pavement for a good cause was important to him.

Salkeld said he wanted to raise awareness and money for the Children's Cancer Association, and in honor of 14-year-old Levi Seed.

Seed is battling leukemia, and says he thinks it's great that Salkeld wants to help kids like him.

"It makes me feel like just all happy," he said. "It's kind of hard to explain, but it makes me feel honored."

Seed's parents, Kim and Ken Seed, say the experience has been life-changing for their son.

"It's given him something else to look at to look at, to think about, to do, to focus on, other than being a cancer kid," Kim Seed said.

The Seeds say their son's battle with cancer has been going on almost two years, and it's a journey with many ups and downs.

"Kids that have cancer and their families have to deal with these battles, and I could never compare a race to a battle, because I don't have that experience," Salkeld said. "But in a lot of ways, it could be like that, because you have to go through the ins and outs. It might be falling apart around you."

Salkeld says it's hard to believe the race he trained months for is already over.

"This morning, the last three legs, I look over, there's the van and they're just giving me thumbs up," Salkeld said. "And I'm just like, 'Yeah, this is a no-brainer -- it's going to get done.'"