Strider member and Ridge Runner, William Stalhandske, is a man on a mission. He plans to run a marathon in all 50 states. He said he is doing this for fun and to stay healthy. To date, Bill has completed 6 marathons in 6 different states: Indiana, Illinois, Arizona, Nevada, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. As of today, he is already registered for a marathon in Ohio, Georgia, Texas and Missouri. He plans to accomplish this by the time he is 38 so he only has 9 more years to go! We wish him all the best with his mission. So, next time you see Bill at a race or a group run, ask him about it, maybe offer him some words of encouragement or you can donate to his cause.
Rumor has it, that Strider member and fellow Ridge Runner, Jeff Mescal, is tackling this triumphant feat along with Bill. In fact, they travel together and encourage each other. If running a marathon isn’t difficult enough, Jeff Mescal is on a mission to complete his marathons in under 3 hours. Jeff started his “sub 3” quest when Chuck Engle (a Marathon Junkie) talked him into it after the 2011 Chicago Marathon. Chuck Engle is one of the few (4 or 5) people that have run all 50 states including DC in under 3 hours. To date, Jeff has ran Florida, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arkansas, Tennessee, Minnesota, California, Arizona, Pennsylvania all with an average time of approximately 2:48. Often times, Jeff runs as a pace group leader and has actually won overall in 5 states. Jeff plans to run marathons in Colorado, West Virginia, Missouri, Georgia, North Dakota, Iowa and Texas by the end of the year.
Bill and Jeff are trying to run as many marathons as possible together; they say it's more fun that way and it helps cut down on costs. Next weekend, they are running Fargo and are staying in a room provided by the race for elite runners. Jeff was lucky enough to grab a master's elite spot out there and he says every little bit helps. Great job guys and good luck on your magnificent journey!
