Day 56 of the run across the USA 2025

It was a scorcher of an overnight stop with no breeze. It took quite a while to eat my porridge but I was on the road for 06:29 near Clements, Kansas on highway 50.  

The early miles were the usual slow ones to get the legs moving. It was nice to get out into the 24/25 Celsius temperature.  

I met the RV for a bottle of water at 4 miles and ditched the walking poles. Taking advantage of the lower temperature, (although it was quickly rising) I slowly began to build the pace. I felt as good as I had for a few days.  

I ditched my backpack at the next water stop and just took a bottle with me. It’s not too often that I’ve been able to run without the burden of either the backpack or waist pack. Being just that bit lighter really helped.  

There were the usual birds and trains to tick off my daily eye spy list.  

When I reached the Marion county line, I noticed that the hard shoulder was in poorer condition. Perhaps they didn’t have as big a budget as Chase county. 

As I ran on the outskirts of the town of Florence, I came up to a rare roundabout. I was extremely pleased with the progress so early on. It was only 10am and I’d managed 11.25 miles. It was a solid foundation for a big day of miles. 

I met the RV for a toasted bagel and a good gulp of Powerade. It was then that I was only minutes away from the biggest mistake I’d made on this tour so far.  

My socks and feet were soaking wet. I decided to dry my feet and change my socks. When doing so, I noticed a large blister on my left foot. The plan was to “empty” the fluid out of it. I did that with no problems. The layer of skin was quite thin. Unlike, some of the other blisters that I have.  

Now for the mistake. I dabbed some antiseptic (Isopropyl Alcohol) around the area of my left foot that I’d worked on. It wasn’t painful at first, but it certainly became more so after a few minutes. It felt like I’d poured acid on raw flesh. The pain was as bad as anything I can ever remember. It was even worse than the pain I had following 2 teeth out in March this year.  

I tried hard to control my breathing and endure the pain. It eventually died down from the blister but increasing the area of what I call the ball of my left foot. As the minutes went on the pain increased.  

This was the lowest point of this tour by far. I tried to control my sobbing but it was difficult. All of a sudden I felt very alone and a long way from home.  

I just had to get out of the RV and back on the road. My right sock went on ok. I had to bite down on a towel to get the left sock on.  

My shoes went on ok and I got back out into the now 30 Celsius heat.  

To say progress back on Highway 50 was slow was an understatement. I had to use the walking poles to take the pressure off my left foot. The next 3 miles ticked by at 26 minutes each.  

All of the good work in the early part of the day had been for nothing. If I wasn’t in so much pain, I may have had room left for the frustration. 

After nearly 80 minutes and 3 miles of hobbling down highway 50, enough was enough. 

The options, as I saw them, in that moment were a) drive back 3 miles to Florence and go again tomorrow, b) drive forward to Dodge City and wait and recover until Deb and Thomas arrive on Saturday or c) quit altogether.  

After exchanging messages with Deb back in the UK, I chose option a). I made sure that I sent her a photo of the damage. 

With the pain subsiding slightly, I followed Deb’s advice. I soaked my feet for 20 minutes, had a quick shower and then applied antiseptic cream and a gauze pad with a dressing to my left foot.  

Given my lack of mobility, dressing my foot wasn’t straightforward. I made a decent job of it I think.  

We had parked outside of Town and Country Cafe in Florence. It was roasting hot in the RV and I tried my best to get a little sleep with my foot elevated.  

The pulsating pain on the ball of my left foot had subsided. We decided to go into the cafe for something to eat. 

As well as a cheeseburger and fries, it was a real treat simply to talk to some of the local people. This was as authentic a place and people as you’re likely to find. The food was delicious too.  

I handed out leaflets and told the locals and staff about my journey. It was then time to return to the furnace of an RV. It was 32 Celsius by this point.  

I spent the next few hours looking at the remaining miles and scratching my head. I’m losing the possibility of finishing this run in 100 days. In fact, that was probably lost 4 weeks ago.  

I exchanged numerous messages with the remaining support team to come on duty. The tour is so mis-aligned with the original plan now. This makes getting the team on and off the tour very tricky going forwards. Thankfully, they’ve all shown a high degree of flexibility and we are making things work to a point.  

I’m now faced with being approximately 200 miles short of the finish line on day 100. That would actually need to be day 99 as the RV has to be returned early on day 100. It would be a case of so near, yet so far. That scenario doesn’t take into account the very complicated support team handover logistics.  

A possible scenario is to do what Donna and I did in Australia in 2013. That is to hand back the RV on day 99 and extend the run by a week. We used a car after handing the RV back and stayed in the odd motel here and there. The issue with that is that I have neither a car (we were kindly loaned one by Mitsubishi in Australia) or a support team at that point. This is a plan that would require an average of between 30.5 and 31.25 miles to be ran. There are some enforced low mileage days in there due to support team handovers.   

Another scenario is to finish the run in Monument Valley at Forrest Gump Point. That would be on the 23rd July.  

Ending on day 84, would mean standing down the remaining 2 support team members. The RV could hopefully be handed back in Las Vegas (and not LA) where I would fly back to the UK from.  

There are no decisions to be made just yet. Only miles to be ran.  

TUNE OF THE DAY: Against the wind - Bob Seger

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Day 55 of the run across the USA 2025

The day started at 2am with a spectacular lightening storm to the west. 

There was a tremendous gale force breeze. At one point I had to shut my window to prevent the torrential rain pouring in. 

The storm eventually drifted north east, taking with it the cool breeze. It had cost me over an hour of sleep. I worried for the safety of the RV at one point. 

The early alarm was disregarded and I didn’t get out onto Highway 50 until 08:38.

It was another scorcher of a day with the relatively cooler part of the day missed. Starting at 28 Celsius is difficult. 

Coincidentally, day 55 of the run across the USA in 2011 had the same issue: “The current problem is that I'm not getting enough sleep over night. This is leading to late starts. This, in turn, means that I'm running the mentally tough miles during the hottest part of the day.”

There was an ornamental metal structure across the road from the start point. 

There was the usual cattle nearby to say good morning too. I was also surprised to see a tortoise next to what looked like a spilled load of onions.

I was pleasantly surprised to get a call from my friend Helen in Perth, Australia. That helped me take my mind of the heat for 10 minutes 

I met the RV for the first time at the five mile point in Strong City. Alan had made a toasted peanut butter bagel which I took with me to eat. It was delicious. 

The traffic was quite busy today. There were times where I wouldn’t see a thing for a few minutes then convoys of trucks and cars would pass me. 

I just about managed to get to the RV at the 8.25 mile point. I felt very unwell again. A lie down for 30 minutes with a towel full of ice cubes helped to get me back on my feet. It was at this point that I made a minimum of 20 miles the target for today. If there were to be cloud cover or a better wind to take advantage of then I’d revise that. For now though, it was one of those days where it was just about survival. 

At the 10 mile point, I ran over Diamond Creek. I noticed a lot of very agile birds swarming overhead.

I ducked into the RV again just before the 15 mile point. I had a plain omelette and watched the trains go by. There was a small breeze which gave some comfort. 

The final 5 miles were done at the hottest part of the day. The 33 Celsius heat made it very difficult to keep moving forward with any pace whatsoever. I had my full head covered with 2 buffs to keep the sun off. It became a case of head down and keep going on the long straight highway 50. 

At the 20 mile point, a police officer stopped to ask if I was ok. He was called Michael and another in a long line of police that I’ve met all over the world while running. I gave him a leaflet and explained that this was the finish point for the day. He recommended a shaded spot for our overnight stop just a few hundred yards down the off road. 

All in all, it was a very difficult day. It’s interesting to see that it was just as tough back in 2011. In Kansas. 

I think we are in for a very uncomfortable overnight sleep tonight. There is no breeze and the luxury of the previous 2 nights isn’t there. 

TUNE OF THE DAY: Harmonia's Dream - The War on Drugs

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Day 54 of the run across the USA 2025

Some of the final words on yesterday’s blog were “Could this be a much needed good nights sleep?”. I’m pleased to report that it was with a tremendous breeze that almost made it a bit too cold around 0300. We were right next to a busy train line but the noise cancelling headphones worked well. A good 7 and a half hours was had. 

I set off from the RV at 0626. I decided not to take any painkillers. That wasn’t a good decision with hindsight. 

A train passed by. It was one of countless trains that I saw and/or heard during the day. 

As was the case with previous days the roads were long and rolling. A man pulled alongside me to ask if I needed help. I don’t think he was a podiatrist so I told him about my journey instead. He looked shocked and amazed in equal measure. I get that a lot! 

I met the RV for painkillers at mile 3. I ditched the walking poles and switched to my waist pack. It’s something I’ve not used for a while due to the pain in my lower back. That’s gone now so I thought I’d give it a try. 

The first two hours of the day were quite mild (24 Celsius) in comparison to recent times. 

I met the RV just before 7 miles for a water refill and the last of Terry’s oatmeal and butterscotch cookies. They went down like a treat. 

Once again, I ran past many ranches and farms. The ranch entrance below was one of my favourites today.   

I said hello to a few friendly bow wows down the road. They responded well to my good boy/girl offering.   

There were plenty of cattle to greet too along the way. They seem like very inquisitive animals. At mile 8, I ran next to a rattlesnake. I thought it was dead at first. However, its eyes blinked and I didn’t hang about.   

 

After some really decent running, I made it to the outskirts of Emporia, Kansas at the 13.5 mile point. I got a water refill at the RV and continued to “ride the wave” of decent pace that I’d found. 

 

I met the RV again at mile 17 for a water refill and some snack bags. Alan tried to persuade me to stop and eat but, with the momentum I’d built up, I decided to press on. My decision came with a risk. Alan needed to do some shopping, dump the waste and find some propane. In the searing Kansas heat, that meant that he could be out of range for an hour or so. It was a risk I was willing to take, as good form such as that isn’t easy to come by. 

That 10 mile section of good pace had been built up using several things. Firstly, when there is a good nights sleep there’s always a chance. Then, conversations with Donna followed by David Fairlamb boosted my morale. Some witty voice notes between support man Thomas and I lifted my spirits further. The cloud cover that suddenly appeared offered a rare chance to take advantage of slightly better conditions. 

As I tore through the streets of Emporia, I sent a few video messages to people. That’s not something I’ve done before but it was good to have that one way conversation. I followed it up with a couple of Facebook live videos just to capture the euphoric miles. 

All through Emporia, people smiled and waved. It was almost as if they knew about my journey. That support helped massively. 

The real catalyst for the pace was a song I heard on radio 2. 

That’s TUNE OF THE DAY(1) - Fight Another Day by James Morrison. 

The lyrics were very relatable to this run. I must have listened to it over and over on Spotify afterwards. The chorus is as follows: 

Cause' sometimes it hurts, we cry till we break God only knows what's waiting for us tomorrow, oh And those hard days will come, that we just can't escape But if I hold on to you and you hold on to me We'll live to fight another day. 

I’m sure you can see how I was able to connect that song to my running. 

After about the 6th time of listening my thoughts turned to the staff, patients in St. Benedict’s Hospice and their families. When I started to think about them, then the song took on even greater meaning. 

Ultimately, I thought about my Mam fighting to stay alive during her final days in the hospice. It was a fight that she’d inevitably lose. Every day that she won though, was a day that I still had her in my life. As you read this there will be terminally ill people in the St. Benedict’s Hospice in exactly the same situation. Thanks to the care of the staff there, many of them will be living to fight another day. 

The music and the subsequent thoughts I had while profoundly sad, had a positive impact on my mind and my running. 

As in left Emporia, I decided to do another live video on the Run Geordie Run Facebook page. I talked about my Mam’s time in St. Benedict’s Hospice in a bit of detail. I also talked about the pride I felt at “playing a part” at the hospice. It’s a small part in amongst an army of other volunteers as well as the doctors, specialist palliative care nurses, fundraising team, trustees, the chaplain, therapists, admin and reception staff and so on. I got a lot off my chest in that video. 

Back to the running and I made it out of Emporia at mile 19. The temperature had reached 32 Celsius and the cloud was disappearing quickly. 

I was now on Highway 50 which was a dual carriageway with a hard shoulder. 

The temperature was getting much hotter it seemed. I was beginning to think that my decision to press on while Alan did the chores was a stupid one. 

Those chores were taking a lot longer than I’d anticipated. While I ran out of water after 24 miles, I didn’t feel any need for panic. 

I eventually met the RV at 26.2 miles. Stopping points on Highway 50 were few and far between. Thankfully, Alan found one next to the railroad. I quickly downed 2 cans of coke and rested for 15 minutes. My left foot in particular was quite painful. At least the right foot was having a day off. 

I decided to leave my waist pack behind. Despite success earlier in the day it was causing come lower back pain. I think that’s nerve related. 

I took my foot right off the gas for the final few miles. I had another good chat with Donna back home. We talked about my earlier Facebook Live video. She has this great gift of explaining things to me in a way that just makes sense. 

The final 2 miles were spent singing Englebert Humperdinck songs at the top of my voice. Thankfully, “on Highway 50 nobody can hear you sing”.

At mile 30.3 I could see some familiar looking clouds ahead. It was like Kansas in 2011 all over again. I know a thunder cloud forming when I see one. That was me done for the day at an early time of 5pm.  

As I’m typing this blog we find ourselves on the fringe of some spectacular lightening activity. It seems to be coming our way. Here’s hoping the good ship Run Geordie Run (the RV) doesn’t get struck overnight. I wouldn’t rule anything out on this tour. 

In absolute grim news, my left foot is not recovering well from last weeks trails and stones. Thankfully, my right foot is. ^DA - I've shrunk these photos case of mealtime reading!

Thanks to an incredibly generous, and well timed, donation from the Newcastle United Supporters Club, the fund has smashed the £22,000 barrier. Thank you to everyone who continues to follow and share the story. Donations to St Benedict's Hospice can be made here: 

https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025

Bonus post - Thoughts from David Fairlamb

Thoughts from personal trainer David Fairlamb 

Here’s an update on Mark Allison's epic run across the USA: prepare to be inspired. As I write this he has run 1,202 miles and taken a mind-blowing 2.5 million steps whilst burning 184,352 calories. 

Running across the United States is a challenge that most would find unimaginable but for Mark Allison, better known as Run Geordie Run, it's a gruelling test of physical endurance, mental strength, and unwavering willpower. Covering more than 3,000 miles in just 100 days, from New York to California, his journey is far more than a run. It's a remarkable testament to the human spirit, made even more extraordinary by the obstacles he faces along the way. 

Now in his early 50s, Mark isn't a professional athlete. His age naturally brings physical limitations, longer recovery times, a higher risk of injury, and the daily battle of pushing through pain. Yet, he presses on running marathon distances almost every day, often in some of the most punishing conditions imaginable. 

One of the most intimidating aspects of the challenge is the sheer scale and diversity of the American land-scape. From the rugged Appalachian Mountains to the vast, arid plains of the Midwest and the scorching deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, the terrain is relentless. In some areas, temperatures exceed 40°C (104°F), with little to no shade in sight. Running in such extreme heat demands constant vigilance to avoid heat stroke or exhaustion. 

And Mark isn't doing this with a team of medics or high-tech support. There are no ice baths, no fancy recovery equipment, just the bare essentials. Twice already a failed RV battery left him without lights, a working toilet, shower, or fridge for five days, hardly ideal. 

Logistically, running across an entire continent is a monumental operation. Mark must coordinate support vehicles, plan rest stops, manage nutrition, and adjust routes, all while dealing with rotating support team members. Each day requires meticulous planning: where to run, where to sleep, how to refuel. While a small team helps with supplies and encouragement, Mark runs alone for more than 95% of the time. It's a punishing routine, repeated day after day, week after week. 

But the toughest battle isn't always physical. 

Mentally, this challenge is brutal; he has been really struggling with loneliness, exhaustion, severe foot issues, and the ever-present voice of doubt as constant companions. It takes enormous mental resilience to keep going when your body begs to quit. Mark has spoken candidly about the emotional toll of those moments when each mile feels impossible, when he questions his purpose, when the finish line feels unimaginably far away. However, he fights everyday to keep moving. 

He ran the other way across the USA 14 years ago, but there is a far bigger physical impact on a 53-year-old rather than at 39. 

So, what keeps him going? The answer lies in his deep sense of purpose. Mark is running to raise funds for St Benedict's Hospice, a place close to his heart for the care they provided to his late mother. 

Over the years, he's raised hundreds of thousands of pounds. 

Every step across America is fuelled by the thought of the lives he's helping. The donations, the messages of encouragement, and the stories from families who have benefited from hospice care all serve as powerful motivation. In his darkest hours, it's this mission that keeps him moving. 

You can follow Mark's incredible journey and support his cause at www.rungeordierun.com, where you'll also find details on how to donate to St Benedict's Hospice.

Day 53 of the run across the USA 2025

Parking outside a quiet church with gusts of wind outside had all the makings for a decent sleep. However, that wasn’t the case for me. It took me until well after midnight to doze off. With an 0600 alarm to look forward to that was far from ideal. I woke up numerous times during the night too. By the time the alarm went off I was far from ready to hit the road. In fact it was 0922 before I started just to the east of Waverly, Kansas. 

A late start presents all kinds of problems. Firstly, a few hours of cooler temperatures are missed. Those miles still have to be done and they are harder, hotter miles. Secondly, I generally spend all day with the feeling of a lack of progress. This isn’t good for morale at all. 

Turning to a slightly more trivial matter, I often get asked how I know where to start each day. In the past, I’ve generally tied a ribbon to something if there is no obvious landmark. These days, I take a picture of where I finish the night before and use the geotag information to navigate to it the next day. It’s extremely important that I have an unbroken line across the USA. 

After the first mile, there was a bend in the road. It was to be all dead straight after that. 

I was “chased” (and I use that term very loosely) by a couple of very small dogs early on. I was more concerned about their safety as they ran pretty close to the main road. 

The road was aligned with many ranches and farms. Corn and cattle were in abundance pretty much everywhere I looked today. 

I met the RV for the first water refill at 4.5 miles. After that, because of the high temperature, 3-4 miles was the standard. 

I crossed a fairly busy highway 75 at mile 10.5. Following that road north would take me to my 2011 route and Highway 36. That’s just over 100 miles away. 

I met the RV at mile 12.5 for some tuna and pasta. A 25 minute tactical snooze then followed. The RV was in shade and there was a through breeze. It was a decent rest. 

Earlier in the day, the support team WhatsApp group talked about the lack of breeze for me last night despite howling winds. It became obvious to me that I have only one window and no natural draft across the RV out of the other side. Alan benefitted from such a breeze last night and Deb said she had done in the past. I have one window and a curtain at the bottom of the bed which I think is preventing a flow of air. There’s also a lot to be said for where the RV is parked overnight and which direction it’s facing. I’ll come on to that later. 

I got back out and felt pretty good. The water refills were every 3 to 4 miles and I kept moving forward at a decent pace. It wasn’t as good as yesterday but not far off. 

By mile 16, the wind was so strong that it kept blowing me out of the hard shoulder and onto the road. It wasn’t too much of a problem as the road was extremely quiet. 

At mile 16.5 I began to feel quite unwell. That’s not the first time it’s happened at this time of the day with the sun beating down. I also noticed that I was going to the “toilet” very frequently (don’t worry the roads were quiet). Apologies for the amount of detail. 

Instead of calling the RV back, I decided to press on. The gusts of wind appeared to get stronger and I didn’t feel in control of my legs. 

There was a bridge over a train line and I just about managed to keep my footing. I was like a boxer on the ropes at this point. 

I managed to get to mile 19.85 where the RV was. It was a relief to get out of the sun. I decided to take a break and get some food. Alan cooked up a feast and I polished the whole lot off. It wasn’t the usual slow process of eating. This was proper ravenous hunger. Which is unusual for me. 

It was after 6pm by the time I finished eating. I decided to call it a day and get an early start tomorrow. 

At the time of writing the overnight stop is next to a train line. The RV is pointing due east and there’s a nice breeze coming through my window. The RV feels like we could be at 37,000ft with a bit of turbulence. Could this be a much needed good nights sleep? Hopefully it is, but with a man nearby shooting his rifle (hopefully he’s hunting) anything is possible. 

TUNE OF THE DAY: Beer never broke my heart - Luke Combs 

Continued thanks for the messages of support and donations. The fund for St Benedict's Hospice currently stands at £21,434.

If you could like to donate, or share with a friend/member of family, please visit:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/rungeordierun2025