This is second in a series of articles which will introduce the kind bunch of volunteers who make up the Run Geordie Run USA 2025 Support Team. Next up is Alan who will be joining the team on day 33 in St. Louis, Missouri. That's the day John leaves the team.
Alan is on his own on the team for 26 days. That's the longest individual stint that any of the team are doing. The 845 mile route that he is supporting is one of the most complex to navigate. There are many twists, turns and trails on the route through Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. When I say "trails" that means that I'll be on sections of the route inaccessible by the motorhome. Good communication and a robust plan is important as ever during times like that.
One Alan's first day, there is a steady climb from 400ft in St. Louis to 6,500ft through to his last in Walsenburg, Colorado. There's a whopping 14,000ft of ascent during that time. Add to that, the ever increasing temperatures we'll be facing where 30+ Celsius is expected every day by that point. It promises to be quite a challenging adventure through the American Midwest for Alan.
Alan says "Having retired a few years ago, I have enjoyed doing a range of activities I didn't have time for when working, travelling, golf, tennis, etc.
My route to supporting Mark and joining his support team began over a year ago. My wife sits close to Mark and Donna at St James Park on match days. After chats about Mark's mission and meticulous planning, I discovered, unknown to me, that she had suggested that I could be a fair candidate for support driving on the run!
Mark and I spoke, and he explained the tasks and expectations. It is an amazing challenge to undertake, and I'm looking forward to supporting Mark to reach his goal.
So here we are almost ready for the Run Across America.
Just saying, I'm not a runner and definitely not an omelette maker ....yet!"
I'll meet you in St. Louis Alan.
