Beginning at the Santa Monica Pier at 8 a.m., both Andrew Linder and Paul Johnson will take the first steps in their respective journeys spanning 3,000-plus miles, heading from the beachside views to the Big Apple. Linder’s "Pier to Park" trek will cover from the Pier to New York City’s Central Park, and will be the first cross-country run completed with a 15-pound weighted vest attached, adding awareness to the fight against human trafficking. Johnson will be running with pace in mind in an attempt to break a world record of a 42-day pace for the 3,000 miles, also poised to be completed in NYC, and will be running to raise attention to military veteran wellness.
Linder, a former college football player, noted that his sport didn’t necessitate running more than a mile, and that long distance is a "whole new world" for him, brought upon by a challenge from his father to sign up for a marathon.
"I was humbled immensely by how hard it was and how much I didn’t like it," Linder said. "So I just wanted to keep working on it and keep striving to make progress."
His progress was steady, eventually competing in both a 12-hour endurance race and a 100-mile race within the past year, and was thinking about what to do next when he got in contact with Sisters Rising Worldwide, an organization dedicated to human trafficking prevention initiatives and protective services. The fight against trafficking and child sexual predators was the impetus for Linder’s current employment in law enforcement, making the partnership with Sisters Rising a natural one.
"I want to be able to bring both the [running and trafficking awareness] worlds together and thought about an idea that could captivate a lot of people, and inspire a lot of people, and I know that it would get the attention … being able to partner up with a charity like Sisters Rising who does amazing work … it was really a no-brainer," Linder stated.
Adding the 15-pound vest to the mix hasn’t impacted the amount of miles put in during Linder’s training, but it has forced him to "get comfortable" with the accessory through long walks and hikes. He added that he’s lost eight pounds during the training so that there isn’t "an overwhelming amount" of weight on his body over the 78-day trek.
The run will consist of 40-mile days that will take Linder into California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. He said that the Pier was chosen as a starting point for its iconic status and fair weather, adding that he hopes the climate will shift into more mild conditions in the midwest and east as he traverses throughout the spring.
Linder added that many don’t know the full extent of the trafficking issue, as the International Labour Organization estimates that over 24.9 million individuals are forced into labor and sexual exploitation. He hopes that his run can spread the word about the issue that impacts every stretch of the nation, and specifically increase education about the more cyber-based recruiting into trafficking scenarios.
"[It’s about] educating younger people about how to be safe and how to be aware of your surroundings, I think that’s a big thing especially [since] the internet plays such a major part of what’s going on," Linder said. "I think when we were younger, our parents would scare us [about] the man in the white man, but that man in the white van is now on the internet and everyone has access to it … just [educate] on how to be smart because the internet’s not going away."
Like Linder, Johnson didn’t truly embrace the competitive running scene until recently. An officer in the United States Navy, he picked up the activity in the summer of 2022 while training for the Marine Corps Marathon in San Diego. While he still considers this his "rookie year," he swiftly started competing in 100-mile races and ultramarathons, including the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc trail run in southeastern France. Johnson now has his feet set on the Guinness World Record held by ultrarunner Pete Kostelnick, who the young Johnson saw during Kostelnick’s stop at alma mater Penn State University.
Though Johnson didn’t understand the gravity of the record run at the time, he certainly knows what it’ll take to beat Kostelnick now, pushing his training to 200-mile weeks, almost a "full-time job" on top of his naval duties. Aside from the record goal, an equally-important undertaking is raising awareness for mental health and attempting to raise $1 million for Team Red, White & Blue, a nonprofit which serves as a leading health and wellness community for military veterans.
"Paul’s transcontinental run is inspiring all of us at Team RWB," Team Red, White & Blue Founder and Executive Director Mike Erwin said. "His story is a real-life example of the power of physical fitness in improving veterans’ mental health and overall well-being. We are honored that Paul chose to support our organization with all those miles he’s about to run - and we’re fired up to stand behind him every step of the way."
That declaration is literal, as veterans will be joining Johnson on the Pier for the first mile of his roughly 3,000-mile excursion. He added that it was "natural" to start his route on the Pier, and that the location is "much more iconic" and "more fun" than beginning at Los Angeles City Hall.
"Having somebody there just running beside you, even if you’re not talking with them, just having their presence there is such a huge help … while this is just the very start, having those people there, it’s such a confidence boost and such a great feeling … and we’re going to see future support down the road as things start to get tough … and fatigue and everything starts setting in," he said.
For more information on Linder’s run, visit piertopark.com. For more information on Johnson’s trek, visit pauljohnson.run
