An Illinois man said he will run the Los Angeles marathon this month at the end of his 30-day diet involving nothing but McDonald's fast food.

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Joe D'Amico, 36, of Palatine, said he plans to beat his personal best time of two hours and 36 minutes at the March 20 race after 30 days of eating all three meals at McDonald's, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday.

"My wife told me I was crazy," said D'Amico, whose progress can be followed at McRunner.com. "But I love McDonald's and I love running, and this was a great way to combine the two."

D'Amico said his running will help him avoid the fate of filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who gained 24 pounds and experienced health problems while eating for a month at McDonald's for his film "Supersize Me."

"I can do it because I'm running 100 miles a week," he said.

"I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong or make any kind of political statement," he said. "But I've been eating McDonald's since I was a kid. In a way I've been practicing for this my whole life."

The runner said he is not officially sponsored by McDonald's but he is raising money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.