A True Cross-Country Adventure For Adelphi Alums

Two former Adelphi University cross country runners are about to put their legs to the test like few have before.

Wantagh High School graduate Adam Clark, 22, and his former Adelphi cross country teammate, Jeffrey Perez, 23, are getting set to live up to the name of the collegiate sport they competed in when they transverse more than 3,000 miles from Jones Beach to California.

The duo’s cross country running journey - dubbed the Transcontinental Project - will raise money for individual charitable causes. It kicks off Saturday morning in front of the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater.

Clark, who made the NCAA Division II All-Region team as a senior at Adelphi, has been training for this trek across America since the spring, running about 100 miles a week. Clark said he and Perez are planning to run approximately 40 miles a day while taking breaks in between during their trip by foot to the west coast.

Only 225 individuals have successfuly been documented running acrosss the U.S, according to usacrossers.com.

“There is no real way we could prepare for this but we’re going to go in and just try and muscle through it,” said Clark.

Clark and Perez will be assisted on their cross-country adventure by former Adelphi teammate Ian Leavitt, 22, and James Eastman, a longtime friend of the two runners. Leavitt and Eastman, a Massapequa resident, will be driving Clark's car as a support crew along the way. In late July, Leavitt suffered a foot injury during a "freak event" that has prevented him from running alongside his teammates.

"I will now be going along in the support vehicle to offer any aid that I can to both of the guys as well as to help James out with all of his responsibilities," Leavitt blogged in late July.

The running duo is planning to travel through as many park areas as possible in order to find suitable places to pitch tents but is also hoping for some help along the way from strangers.

“We’re going to be relying on the hospitality of the American people hoping that we can either camp out on their lawns or hopefully some people that we don’t know can put us up for a night,” said Clark.

The first day of Clark’s journey will take him through familiar territory as he runs by his family’s Wantagh home before heading to his alma mater Adelphi in Garden City. The 43-mile inaugural day of the adventure will also go by Perez’s home in Long Island City, Queens before heading into Manhattan and over the George Washington Bridge, concluding at a friend’s house in Leonia, N.J.

Clark and Perez will first head south on their journey to Washington, D.C. before starting their move west. In total they will travel through 15 states and the entire trip is expected to last about three months. After arriving in California, Clark will fly back to New York and is planning to have his car shipped.

“We’re going to see the whole of America, which we’re really excited about,” said Clark.

In addition to the motivation to tackle the challenge of running a major distance, Clark also saw this ambitious task as a way to give back to a cause deep in his heart. Clark will be raising money for Shannon’s Fight, an organization formed a few months ago to provide individuals with rare forms of cancer a chance at life. The organization is named for Clark’s cousin, Shannon Serkes, 15, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Clark’s sister, Brianne, also overcame a rare form of cancer at an early age, giving him more personal meaning to support the charity. "Shannon is a fighter, I am a runner," said Clark. "Together, we will defy the odds and accomplish something monumental."

Perez is raising money for Global Kids, an organization that encourages urban youth to become community leaders, successful students and global citizens.

"In high school, I attended Global Kids classes and learned about our country’s role in the world, human rights and the need for all of us to be global citizens," Perez said. "This cross-country journey is a way for us to give back and help other high school students have a similar education experience.”

Leavitt's portions of the funds raised will benefit the Deborah Hospital Foundation, dedicated to supporting the highest quality of patient care at the Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Trenton, N.J. While in high school, Leavitt's mother passed away with a heart condition so he was compelled to support an organization whose work includes women with cardiovascular issues.

Clark and Perez are planning to provide daily updates and video blogs throughout their cross country journey on their website, www.TheTCProject.com.