One of the toughest running challenges imaginable is currently underway, as British ultrarunner Robert Young (aka "The Marathon Man U.K.") is attempting to set a speed record for crossing the U.S. on foot. To do so, he'll have to run more than 60 miles per day – every day – for a month and a half.Young set out from Huntington Beach, California last Saturday, and he hopes to wrap up the run in Times Square in New York City, sometime in June. Along the way, his route will take him through California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, covering approximately 3000 miles (4828 km) along the way. To reach his eventual destination he'll have run across deserts, over two mountain ranges (Rockies and Appalachian), the Great Plains, and various other environments.
As mentioned, Robert will need to cover about 60 miles per day if he hopes to establish a new record. The previous mark was set 36 years ago and stands at 46 days, 8 hours, and 36 minutes. That won't be easy of course, but the British runner has a reputation of being a phenom. Since he started running marathons in 2014, he has run more than 500 races of marathon length or longer, while setting two world records – one for most marathons run in a year and another for the longest distance run without sleeping.
You can track Robert's progress on his website, and as of now he is still in California but nearing the border with Arizona. Obviously he has a long way to go before he's done, but he's already making good progress and since it is early in the run, we can follow Young all the way across the U.S.
Of course, Robert is hoping to get the record, but he's also running to raise funds for three charities. Those include Dreams Come True, the Tyler Robinson Foundation, and the 100 Mile Club.The run is also being supported by SKINS, a company that makes compression apparel for athletes.
Good luck to Robert on this endeavor. It will be interesting to see if he can catch break the record that has stood for more than three and a half decades.
