An American adventure

<b>Runners pass through Cass County on cross-country trek</b>

by Carla Knapp

Forty-two days ago, Charlie Engle and Marshall Ulrich set out on a unique journey to produce a documentary about this moment in U.S. history.

The duo could have focused on any number of stories making national headlines — the onslaught of hurricanes battering the Gulf Coast, the foundering of several century-old financial institutions or even the heightening frenzy of the presidential campaigns. Instead, they set out on a 3,200-mile cross-country run to find everyday Americans and capture their impressions of the country at this juncture.

“There’s a lot of uneasiness out there right now,” said Engle, who, along with Ulrich, has logged thousands of miles in several different continents as an ultra-marathoner. “We’re asking people about their impression of America at this moment. It’s not political. We don’t care who anybody is voting for. It’s just, ‘How do you feel?’ When really confronted with those questions: ‘Where are we right now?’ ‘Who are we?’ ‘What is our identity?’ People are worried.”

Ulrich and Engle are working together with NEHST Studios to produce the documentary, “Running America.” Having started in San Francisco on Sept. 13, the project has taken the runners through eight states and 2,250 miles. On Thursday, they made their way from Monticello, through Logansport and on to Peru as they continue east toward New York.

The duo was attempting to make it across the nation in just 45 days, which would have set a new world record. However, 46-year-old Engle and 57-year-old Ulrich have both been hampered by injuries that slowed their progress. A serious injury to Engle’s right leg has relegated him to biking most of the course, while the regimen of 60-plus miles per day forced Ulrich to make an unexpected overnight stop just east of Monticello on Wednesday so he could rest and recover.

The United Way, with its Live United campaign, is also a partner in the making of the documentary. Both runners said the goals of the United Way, and especially the organization’s health-related initiatives, were an important part of why they became involved with the campaign.

“It’s nice because of the documentary, what it’s about and what it stands for with the United Way,” Ulrich said of the journey. “It’s a positive message to be positive about where we live and who we are as Americans.”

Engle called the partnership with the United Way “a good fit” for both groups. The North Carolina-native said many of his own projects, including last year’s 111-day, 4,500-mile run across Africa, focus on both charitable causes and motivational efforts. That journey, filmed as part of the documentary, “Running the Sahara,” centered around efforts to raise awareness and funds for water-related programs on the continent. This run, both Ulrich and Engle indicated, is in part intended to generate the same for childhood obesity in America.

The runners themselves said they also wanted to gain a perspective on the country’s current mindset as well as to bring people together through the project.

“We’re going through I guess you could say some troubled times,” said Ulrich, a native of Colorado who is well known for his trek to the top of Mount Everest. “We need to focus on perseverance, and what we’re doing out here is the same. The other message is just so people unite. For them to just realize what a great life we have here in the United States and really focus on the positive things is very important.”

Their journey has already brought other runners together as Ulrich and Engle make their way across the country. Both men said they’ve enjoyed meeting people with varying backgrounds, beliefs and ideals as they’ve traveled from state to state.

Thursday’s trip along U.S. 24 attracted several individuals from throughout the state, all of whom were interested to meet the world-class runners and find out more about their story.

“I just think it’s an amazing opportunity what they’re doing to go across the country like that,” said Kristin Davis, who came from Fort Wayne to run with Ulrich and Engle. “I think it’s really cool and I hope more people learn about it, but just to be a part of that I think is cool.”

Davis and Indianapolis-resident Tony Wiederhold both got that opportunity when they met up with Ulrich just west of Peru. Both said they heard about the project through friends and decided it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they just couldn’t pass up.

“They’re crazier than me, and this isn’t even the craziest thing they’ve done,” said Wiederhold. “I’m just interested to know what drives a person to do that. I’m also interested to know what they’ve learned in the last 2,500 miles, what they’ve learned about America.”

Engle said seeing the progression of changes in people’s viewpoints has been an interesting part of the run. However, Engle said his impressions of people in the Midwest have changed as he’s come into this part of the United States.

“In other parts of the county, there’s the assumption that everyone in the Midwest is conservative, and that’s not the case,” he said. “... We’ve found a real mix of politics and personal beliefs in the Midwest. It’s really refreshing.”

The two men both said witnessing the busy Midwest harvest season has been exciting, especially for Ulrich, who grew up on a dairy farm. Engle said he’s also found the farmers seem to respect the runners’ efforts to take everything in at a slower pace.

“When you’re in a car, you don’t see anything. You see it whizzing by at 70 miles an hour,” Engle said. “On foot, you’re seeing it all at a really slow pace and there’s something I think the farmers strangely appreciate about that.”

As the runners make their way slowly across the nation, Engle said he is gaining a new understanding and appreciation for the people who live in the states they’ve visited as well as the struggles they’re going through.

At the same time, both are hoping their journey helps those people gain a greater understanding of themselves.

“We’re a nation of mixed ethnic groups, and I find that very refreshing,” said Ulrich. “... As I run across the country, I see a unity, and I hope I see more of it. We’ve got things going on on the world front, and I think we all need to refocus and realize that we need to stand as one and do the right thing on a worldwide basis. We need to respect each other and live together.”

Carla Knapp can be contacted at (574) 732-5150 or via e-mail at carla.knapp@pharostribune.com

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