Join me running a marathon in all 63 U.S. National Parks
Love Nature. Love Running.
#runningtheparks
Join me running a marathon in all 63 U.S. National Parks
Love Nature. Love Running.
#runningtheparks
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. ”
Photo by Chris Low
Welcome to the National Parks Marathon Project! My name is Bill Sycalik and I will be running a marathon in all 63 U.S. National Parks. I want the Project to be a celebration of the restorative power of nature and the joy of running!
I am a recovering management consultant most recently based in New York City. As dynamic as the city can be I realized it just wasn’t feeding me anymore. Upon reading that 2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service I thought combining long distance trail running with our National Parks would be a spectacular way to see some of the most beautiful places in the world doing something that I love.
And I want you to join me! Become part of the National Parks Marathon Project. Run part or all of the marathon with me. Since organized races are unusual in the Parks the marathons will be self-measured, self-managed, self-supported events. Just me, you and 26.2 miles of beauty. Can't make it when I'm planning to be at the Park but want to run your own marathon? Great! Register it with National Parks Marathon Project. Let's see how fast we can get to a marathon in every Park!
Not a runner? Doesn’t matter. Come meet me at a Park. Spend time recharging in the wild spaces that belong to all of us as Americans. Let’s enjoy the time together.
Follow me and the people I meet on the road. Read more about me and the Project. Help support the organizations I care about.
Join me at a National Park for a run, stories by the campfire or a star counting contest. No matter who counts the most, everyone wins.
Connect with me on:
Twitter: @runtheparks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/runningtheparks
Instagram: @runningtheparks
The National Parks Marathon Project was featured in Runner's World! Learn about my trip, things I've had to avoid, how I fuel, who I've met and on and on.
There is a great article about my Great Escape in the June, 2017 issue of the National Parks Magazine. The National Parks Magazine is published by the National Parks Conservation Association. The National Parks Conservation Association is the only independent, nonpartisan membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System. If you are looking to support and protect our country's natural and historical sites consider joining the NPCA. You'll also get the awesome magazine.
The National Parks Marathon Project was profiled by NBC News!
Coverage on Next with Kyle Clark on Channel 9 News Denver!
Man runs 26.2 miles in Rocky Mountain, on quest to run marathon in every national park
Fox morning show TV coverage in Seattle!
Man with goal to run a marathon in all 59 U.S. National Parks heads to the Evergreen State
“Keep close to Nature’s heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”
Mission
To inspire people to get out and run in our country’s National Parks and experience the power of nature to restore health to the body and spirit
Mission
To inspire people to get out and run in our country’s National Parks and experience the power of nature to restore health to the body and spirit
Vision
To see a change in the National mindset to one that prioritizes inclusiveness over divisiveness, healthy eating and exercise over immediate gratification and conservation over consumption
Vision
To see a change in the National mindset to one that prioritizes inclusiveness over divisiveness, healthy eating and exercise over immediate gratification and conservation over consumption
One Nation
National Parks are our antidote to the seeming divisive country in which we live. In a National Park there is equality. The mountains, the trees, the animals set forth no judgment of man nor care about man's judgment. On the grounds of a National Park everyone enjoys the same land, air and water; the same experience regardless of gender, orientation, age, education or economic background.
We are one Nation in a National Park.
One Nation
National Parks are our antidote to the seeming divisive country in which we live. In a National Park there is equality. The mountains, the trees, the animals set forth no judgment of man nor care about man's judgment. On the grounds of a National Park everyone enjoys the same land, air and water; the same experience regardless of gender, orientation, age, education or economic background.
We are one Nation in a National Park.