Cover photo credit – Matt Meduri
One man, one cart, no medic, and almost three thousands miles.
On April 6, Mark Backes, motivated by the loss of his father to Parkinson’s Disease in 2018 and his wife’s recent diagnosis, decided to fulfill a life-long dream and bring awareness to the disease: run across the United States solo.
In an effort to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Research Foundation and to bring nationwide awareness to the disease, Backes employed his love of running and embarked on a cross-country journey that started at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles to the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan.
Backes completed his ninety-two-day, 2,811-mile journey that spanned thirteen states on Saturday, July 6, around 1:30p.m. Appropriately, the Forrest Gump-esque marathon concluded in New York on the thirtieth anniversary of the premiere of the hit Tom Hanks movie.
Backes averaged thirty-one miles per day, more than a daily marathon for three months straight. Pulling only a wheeled cart that carried basic necessities, Mark was accompanied by no medic or dedicated help during the trip. Only the first third of the trip saw some family members accompany him for moral support. Any other support he’d receive along the way were from generous passersby or residents of the towns he passed through along the way.
Only less than four hundred people in history have made the run across the continental U.S., and Backes’ trip with the added challenge of no dedicated outside help makes his feat a significant one for the history books.
The Messenger took the trip into New York City to greet Backes at the finish line at the corner of Thirty-Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue.
Backes said that the first third of the trip was the most grueling, as it contained the route through Southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
“Through the deserts and Indian Reservations of Arizona, there’s stretches of eighty to one hundred miles where there’s nothing,” Backes told The Messenger. “There’s no mini-marts, there’s no gas stations. My family knew this and, without my approval, my family came out anyway as my ‘trail angels’ to bring me food and water.”
Despite the brutal heat and conditions of the desert, Backes says that the mornings were “incredibly beautiful” consolations.
“My favorite time was sunrise in New Mexico,” said Backes, remarking on the purple-orange skies that give the desert a backdrop unique to anywhere in the country.
Backes says that once he got to Taos, New Mexico, it was “home sailing” from there.
“I love Kansas!” Backes exclaimed, expressing relief at the level terrain that was a welcome change from the mountains of the Southwest.
Backes says that of the thirteen states through which he traveled, his favorite was Pennsylvania.
“It was gorgeous, it was the most beautiful state,” said Backes. “Everything about it was beautiful: how green it was, the trees, even the homes.”
Besides the help from his family, which he says he did not authorize, his only other help came from “trail angels” along the way.
“The strangers and their generosity just blew my mind,” said Backes, saying that while some gave him water or donated to the foundation, others even gave him lodging for the night.
“They took me into their homes, washed my clothes, fed me, and even let me use the shower,” said Backes, adding that he encountered such “trail angels” in every state on the itinerary. He also said that a stray dog followed him for about two miles after he gave him half of his burrito in New Mexico.
“Sometimes, people would find me online and see where [in the country] I was and they would contact me,” said Backes, referring to the map that continuously updated his location in the U.S. during his three-month journey.
Backes, a resident of San Diego, said he had plans to head home Tuesday – by plane – but not before going to the top of the Empire State Building.
Backes is also no stranger to feats of strength and endurance. Although his solo cross-country trek stands out among his personal physical accomplishments, other notable achievements include a one-day climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, a back-to-back run of the Grand Canyon, and the Death Valley Badwater Run, a 135-mile race in the middle of summer where temperatures can reach upwards of 120 degrees.
Backes works in schools and raises funds through jog-a-thons in the elementary schools, adding that he’s been an avid runner for thirty-five years.
Remarkably, Backes says he did not consult with physicians before the run, saying “you just have to know your body.”
“The most amazing thing is I’m completely healthy, nothing happened along the way,” said Backes.
Backes, 61, said the most profound aspect of the trip was something that he saw in every town that reminded him of one thing: death.
“There are cemeteries in every town and they are prominent in every town,” said Backes. “It reminded me how short a time I have to live here. My best case scenario would be to live to one hundred years old; I only have forty years to go. You just have so little time here on Earth.”
Backes’ campaign raised about $25,000 of a $100,000 goal. Despite the conclusion of Backes’ meteoric trip, the donation portal is still active, and 100% of the proceeds will go the Michael J. Fox Research Foundation.
