In just under two weeks, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday of American independence. As part of that patriotic and exciting anniversary, numerous celebrations and events are scheduled nationwide. One of those events is the Relay for America, where over 250 runners are crossing the country carrying the U.S. flag from the Pacific Coast to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The goal is to reach our nation’s capital by July 4.
“There have been people who’ve run across the country before solo, there have been people who have carried a flag,” said Joe Nail, director of Relay for America. “But no one’s ever tried to get really the entirety of the American people to join in carrying a flag from coast to coast. We hope that this will be something that [becomes] an annual tradition and inspires people for many years to come,” Fox 13 in Salt Lake City reported.
The relay started as a grassroots movement and has been largely relying on volunteers. Nail said that despite being early in the run, the group has encountered a number of moments of generosity that paint our nation much differently than what is being portrayed online. One need only go to BlueSky, the left wing social media outlet, to find out what the left thinks about our nation.
“Contrary to going to a marathon, where you’ve got aid stations and everything set up for you, we’re going town to town, and we’re relying on the hospitality and generosity of people along the way,” said Nail. “[Tuesday] is a perfect example. We’re running through the desert in Nevada, and somebody who was following us on INstagram came out and not only ran, I think 15 or 16 miles, but then said, ‘hey, as soon as we get to the end of this segment, I want to buy you all pizza’...that’s really kind of the core of the American spirit is generosity, caring for our neighbor.”
The relay set off from San Francisco on June 14 (Flag Day) and as of last Thursday, were approaching the end of their run in Nevada, and crossed the Nevada-Utah border early that morning. The group was scheduled to head northeast and then follow a route through central Utah before heading to Colorado. The relay was following major roadways.
Nail said the relay is avoiding major metropolitan areas to maintain their pace and hit the July 4 goal. The organization is encouraging Americans to come out along the way.
“Going 23,000 miles in 20 days, we have to keep about 9:30 average pace,” said Nail. “We’d love to see you out there, and every person who comes out, no matter your pace, will get a chance, at least briefly, [with] the American flag.”
Currently, Utah is atop the leaderboard for the number of registered runners. Anyone willing to volunteer, see the full route, or follow the relay can go to Relay for America’s official website found here.
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