Local’s journey for rare disease comes to a close

Costa Mesa resident Charles Bauknecht ended his journey for cystic fibrosis Sunday morning.

Bauknecht, a 34-year-old personal trainer, attempted to run three consecutive marathons in an attempt to raise $30,000 for cystic fibrosis. He started running Saturday night around 10, and joined competitors in the Surf City Marathon Sunday morning.

Before he started running, Bauknecht estimated he’d raised about $20,000 for his cause.

Cystic fibrosis is a chronic genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. About 30,000 American children and adults have been diagnosed with the rare disease.

Bauknecht was scheduled to run the last few miles with Corey Goetz, a Laguna Niguel teenager who has cystic fibrosis. His sister also has the disease.

However, Bauknecht’s finish was not listed among the 1,075 competitors who were registered for the marathon.

— From staff reports