Charlie Engle made national news last year when he completed a 4,300-mile run of the entire Sahara Desert to raise awareness for the lack of clean water in West Africa. The journey was filmed for an upcoming documentary, “Running the Sahara,” which was narrated by Matt Damon.
Now Engle is at it again. Next month the Greensboro-based ultra-runner will tackle his next big adventure when he attempts to set the speed record for the fastest run across America. Engle will take off from Seattle on May 21 and attempt to finish in Washington, D.C., on July 5. To beat the previous record of 45 days, Engle and his partner Marshall Ulrich will have to average 68 miles a day.
This adventure will also be filmed for another upcoming documentary, “Running America,” and currently NEHST Studios is looking for 15,000 runners to join Engle. The film company wants to cast five extras per mile (no one can run more than one mile), and it is encouraging people of all ages and abilities to sign up. A roster of celebrity runners will be announced soon. To be cast in the film visit www.runningamerica08.com.
