The morning of March 1 brought a crowd to the entrance point of the Santa Monica Pier, as a duo of top athletes began their respective cross-country journeys across America. Starting at 8am at the Pier, both Paul Johnson and Andrew Linder started the clock on their runs that began in Los Angeles and will end in New York City.
Johnson, a Navy officer, is running in an attempt to break a world record of a 42-day pace for the roughly 3,000 miles, poised to be completed in mid-April in NYC. He runs in the hope of raising $1 million for military veteran wellness nonprofit Team Red, White & Blue, with veterans meeting Johnson at the Pier to run the first mile of his expedition.
Linder’s “Pier to Park” trek, scheduled to end in NYC’s Central Park, will be the first cross-country run completed with a 15-pound weighted vest on his body. A former college football player, Linder eventually went from sprints to ultramarathon lengths in his running career, and the athlete is running in support of Sisters Rising Worldwide and the fight against human trafficking.
thomas@smdp.com