1,568 miles: From Massachusetts to Florida by Foot
Relay run to raised thousands for children’s fitness programs and cancer research
After they tackled the 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon on April 16th, 20 runners face an even greater challenge: the East Coast.
On April 18th, as part of the “TREK II East Coast Relay,” two teams of 10 runners returned to the marathon start line in Hopkinton and began an 11-day relay run to West Palm Beach, FL. Each runner ran relay-style between 15 and 17 miles per day. TREK ended on April 28 with a celebration in downtown West Palm Beach.
The teams ran simultaneously, with each fundraising for a different charity. Each runner was charged with raising at least $5,000 for their respective organization.
Team DMSE raised funds for The DMSE Children’s Fitness Foundation (www.dmsefoundation.org) , a nonprofit created by Boston Marathon Race Director Dave McGillivray to support organizations that address the epidemic of childhood obesity through youth fitness and medical research programs. TEAM POL (www.pursuitoflife.org) raised funds for Pursuit of Life, a new Florida-based nonprofit organization developing film and educational projects to better the health and wellness of people.
TREK runners passed through 11 states and the District of Columbia; each team averaged 143 miles a day. During the run, students across the country tracked the TREK in their classrooms – following the teams’ progress, communicating with the runners via the Internet and incorporating TREK into lesson plans about fitness, math, geography and writing. Along the way, TREK runners are also met face-to-face with students in East Coast classrooms for presentations about the importance of physical activity.
TREK was made possible by the generous support of its friends and sponsors, including Saucony, Kalahari FruitTrekker Bars, CiCi’s Pizza, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Tracey Locke Agency, Canada Dry-Potomac region and WHDH-TV Channel 7.
Below are some of the highlights of the trip:
Adam & Ray Trekking...
The Peanut Farm!
Fran - TEAM DMSE Den mother
TREK with Mayor Street in Philadelphia
The start...
