Athlete brings attention to clean water access in run across America

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Michael Wardian, a Division I lacrosse player turned professional runner, has spent the majority of his adult life participating in marathons and ultramarathons all over the world. 

In May, he faced one of his toughest challenges to date: running across America.

Wardian started his journey running coast to coast May 1 to raise awareness and money for World Vision, a charity dedicated to helping children and families get access to clean and safe water.

By July 1, Wardian had run 3,234 miles, from San Francisco to Delaware. He raised over $112,000, which will go toward helping thousands of children and families in need. 

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Mike Wardian runs across America to raise money for World Vision. (@mikewardian)

Wardian told Fox News he got into running "just to stay fit" after retiring from lacrosse during his senior year at Michigan State University. His first and only goal at the time was to run the 1997 Boston Marathon. However, once he finished the 26.2 miles, he was hooked. 

Since then, Wardian has sought out and competed in races all over the world. To date, Wardian, who became a professional runner in 2001, has completed over 300 marathons and ultramarathons and even set Guinness World Records, according to his website.  

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In 2019, Wardian won the World Marathon Challenge, which is seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, for the second time. That same year, Wardian said he ran the full length of Israel, setting the fastest known time on the Israel National Trail. 

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