News / Events
Superhero Posse Takes First Step Toward Record Books
Tellman Knudson departs Battery Park City on the first day of his barefoot run across America.
Tellman Knudson, the man who seeks to raise $100,000,000 for homeless youth by running barefoot across America, was the one in the gold helmet. The dozen or so runners who flanked him were his "posse," as Knudson put it.
Knudson took the first step of his 3,200+ mile journey at 9 a.m. this morning at the North Cove Marina in Battery Park City, then steadily pattered northward up the esplanade near the Henry Hudson Parkway. Just before noon, he crossed the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey, logging the first 13 miles of his journey.
"I'm psyched to finally be on the road," said Knudson from his hotel room in Fort Lee, N.J. "My body feels great and my mind is focused."
Knudson hosted a one-mile fun-run along the Esplanade before officially leaving on his cross-country trek. About a dozen supporters joined him, including a Forrest Gump lookalike, a crewmember dressed as Wonder Woman and a few like-minded, barefoot joggers.
A press conference was held prior to the fun-run, where Bill Chong, Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, and Dr. Ron Thompson, an associate professor at Columbia University’s School of Social Work, spoke about the plight of homeless youth and praised Knudson's charity.
Knudson will be the first person to run across America barefoot. About 200 people have done it wearing shoes.
To view and download photos of the event, visit the RunTellmanRun Flickr stream.
For more information and to view Knudson's personal running blog, visit http://www.runtellmanrun.com.
About Tellman Knudson:
Tellman Knudson, 32, is a serial entrepreneur who has had great success in internet marketing. He is CEO of OvercomeEverything, ListBuildingClub and several other ventures. Tellman overcame femoral antiversion, a debilitating leg condition, to compete on his high school cross country running team, setting several school records and competing for the New Hampshire state championship. Tellman learned to leverage his ADHD, a condition that hinders many, to his creative and financial benefit. He has even been CEO of a busy hypno-therapy practice. Tellman resides in Vermont with his wife and long-time partner, Jodi Meehan, and toddler son, Torger.
About RunTellmanRun:
Tellman Knudson seeks to be the first person to run across America barefoot. He begins his 3,200-mile journey in Battery Park, New York on September 9th and heads west, running the equivalent of one marathon a day. The route follows historic Route 66 for much of the way, with stops in Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Phoenix and finishing on the pier in Santa Monica, California.
About Teenage Homelessness:
Over two million youth (between the ages of 12 and 24) will experience at least one episode of homelessness each year and over 100,000 youth sleep on the street for 6 months or more in America. The vast majority of homeless, street-dependent youth will experience amplified risk of exposure to physical assault, rape, sexual exploitation, recruitment into gangs, and deepening mental health illnesses. Tellman Knudson has set a goal of raising $100 million dollars to help create the programs to reduce the risk these youth face on a daily basis, help get them off the streets, and rebuild their lives.
Run with Tellman:
Join Tellman Knudson for a section of his journey across America. Organized running events are planned for major cities along the route. Visit http://www.runtellmanrun.com for a complete listing of events.
Donate:
To make a donation, visit http://www.runtellmanrun.com/ and help re-build the lives of homeless and at-risk youth.
Knudson (in gold helmet) running past the Statue of Liberty with his posse this morning.
CONTACT:
Luke Q. Stafford, On-the-Ground PR Super Ninja
www.RunTellmanRun.com
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