Snakebite slows barefoot runner

A man running barefoot across North Carolina for charity put his trek on hold Wednesday after being bitten by a snake.

Matt Jenkins has been trying to raise money and awareness for a program in Boone called Western Youth Network that provides services for area youths and their families.

Jenkins has run about 12 hours a day for the past two weeks, but he was bitten by a copperhead late Tuesday in Macon County. He hobbled to a nearby home for help and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The snakebite is a setback, Jenkins said, but he plans to finish the run when his foot heals. He already has run 672 miles of his planned 760-mile trip.