Retired Executive Shows Patriotism
In National Run

THE BOLIVAR COMMERCIAL
David Mann
BC Staff Writer
Published November 21, 2002 5:39 PM CST


Bob Alessio stepped onto the pavement of a Renova road Wednesday, took a deep breath of the cool, Delta autumn air, tightened the laces of his Nikes, gripped his American flag and continued his rhythmic run across the country.

The 57-year-old retired sales and marketing executive waved to passers-by on Miss. Highway 1 as he moved past miles of cotton fields and felt the confidence of having completed 60 percent of his goal - to run across America - 5,450 miles - the longest ever recorded.

 

Though PowerAde and SlimFast sponsors provide for his physical energy, his strength and motivation are powered by family support and deep feelings of patriotism.

"After the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on America, deep feelings of patriotism expanded my objectives and plans," he said. "I am now dedicating the run to the victims and families of the terrorist attack, the emergency response organizations (firefighters, police and EMTs), disaster relief organizations (Red Cross, The Salvation Army) and support for the U.S. Armed Forces."

Five days before the terrorist attack, his intention was to run the shortest route between San Francisco and Boston, a total of 3,250 miles, as a personal athletic challenge. Now his route unites all venues that have been involved in domestic terrorist attacks and many other historic American landmarks.

"My objective is to keep focus on the importance of freedom, homeland security, pride in the flag and the liberties it represents so that we forever remember the sacrifices others have made to preserve liberty and freedom and never again take the fundamental values of America for granted," he said.






Carrying an American flag and wearing red, white and blue clothing, Alessio has worn-out six pairs of shoes since beginning his run April 23. He plans to finish at the Paul Revere Memorial and Columbus Park in Boston's North End by March 14, running 288 days over a 324-day period and giving him some rest and speed training time at his Stow, Mass., home before running the Boston Marathon.

After completing 3,300 miles today, his only complaints have been of a terrible blister he acquired at the beginning of his journey as he ran across the sandy beach of Pacific Del Ray, Calif., and the occasional annoyance of mean-spirited dogs.

"Occasionally, I'll get a pack of three or four dogs - that's when they get aggressive," he said. His blister took a month and a half to heal, and so far, no dogs have bitten him.

He's heard the screams of panthers and bobcats in the Sierra Mountains, run past antelope in New Mexico and the wild horses of Oklahoma as he strives to keep his pace of 21 miles per day on a route that keeps away from interstate highways

He ran past the carcasses of dehydrated livestock in drought-ridden Nevada and experienced the loneliness of Nevada and Utah deserts. Gratefully, he's met a lot kind people on the way, which he said has been the best part of his travel.

"It's meeting what I call real Americans, not the fake Americans you find in business, which I was for 30 years. You're not yourself in that coat and tie," he said.

He's heard the woes of cattle ranchers in Nevada and listened to Texas police officers voice problems about drug issues. He listened to people who told stories of losing family fortunes in casinos and played guitar and fiddle with Mississippi bluegrass musicians as he makes his way.

Sometimes, people run distances with him. Jason Moorehead, a 15-year-old track runner from Rosedale, ran 7.8 miles between Rosedale and Gunnison with Alessio Tuesday evening.

"He was really cool," Moorehead said. "That's the farthest I've run by five miles."

Alessio spoke of his adventures from an RV parked 8 miles south of Rena Laura Wednesday afternoon. License plates and law enforcement and firefighter badges lined the walls.When asked what the peculiar smell was that lingered in the RV, he smiled and pulled his breakfast from the microwave.

A steaming bowl of brown mush answered for him.His daily power breakfast consists of oatmeal, cream of wheat, cream of rice, barley, a scoop of protein powder, a scoop of Slimfast powder, nuts and raisins mixed together, heated and topped with two raw eggs.

The former volunteer firefighter makes his way by parking his RV miles ahead and getting a ride back to his stopping point, usually provided by police, firefighters or motorists who may recognize him from media coverage.

Sponsors such as Nike, PowerAde and SlimFast provide him with their products, but Alessio is self-funding the "Run Across America - For Enduring Freedom" trek.He asked that any donations be sent to The Brain Center, a laboratory devoted to awareness, research and education in neurological and psychiatric diseases, located at Promontory Point, Mashpee, Mass., 02649.

He plans to arrive in Memphis, Tenn., Monday, where he will rest a day and visit the Martin Luther King assassination venue and the civil rights museum before continuing his path toward the Boston Freedom Trail.

"America doesn't have a freedom trail," he said."I proposed the route I'm taking to become America's Freedom Trail."

 

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