Filipino long-distance runners reached Washington DC over the weekend, within shot of crossing the finish line in New York in a few days.

Metro DC Filipino Americans celebrated the arrival of Joy Rojas and Mat Macabe.

They've now run over 3,000 miles, starting in Los Angeles last May, crossing over a dozen states in the American heartland.

Rojas overcame a serious hip injury that forced her to be hospitalized that set their timetable back three months.

"The nature of the sport is wear and tear. It's something you have to deal with so my feet and toes really, really hurt, my hip is having a kind of drama once in a while but I just keep telling myself, just one more week," Rojas said.

They run through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York this week.

Rojas recounted many instances when Americans opened their hearts and doors to them, strangers from the Philippines.

Despite running hurt, Rojas says she never thought of stopping, adding she wanted to show that Filipinos are not quitters.

Western Union Representative Shirleen Velasquez paid tribute to Rojas and Macabe as symbols of the Filipino spirit.

"We believe in the power of the Filipino," Velasquez, Western Union Senior Product Manager.