Runner's trek comes through the 'Ville - The = Northwest Missourian

Runner's trek comes through the = 'Ville

By Abby = Simons=20
Managing Editor
May 1, 2003 Posted 10:00 = p.m.=20 CST

Dave Bronfenbrenner, left, and = Scott=20 Sehon stay the night at Nathan Christenson's = house=20 Sunday.

Sixty-seven days ago, two seasoned = runners began=20 the journey of their lives with little more than = sleeping=20 bags, a digital camera and their feet in the Atlantic = ocean.=20

Midway through their 3,200-mile trek = across the=20 United States, the two spent Sunday night in Maryville = to=20 share the story of their journey and, hopefully, = arrange plans=20 for the next night=92s stay.

While a run across the United States = is no=20 longer among the rarest of feats, Pennsylvania natives = Scott=20 Sehon, 24, and Dave Bronfenbrenner, 25, have taken a = different=20 approach to their journey. Instead of the comfort of = support=20 vehicles, the two are instead relying on the kindness = of=20 strangers for each night=92s stay along their = five-month=20 endeavor.

"A run across the country has been = done before,=20 but mostly with a car or a Winnebago traveling with = them as a=20 support vehicle," Sehon said. "We wanted a kind of = rough-it=20 mentality."

The two found that hospitality in = senior=20 secondary education major and student assistant track = coach=20 Nathan Christensen, who was elated to take in the = inspiring=20 guests.

"It=92s awesome to see people do = something like=20 this," Christensen said. "I=92ve ran a marathon = before, and I=20 can imagine some of the pain they=92re going through, = but not=20 doing this day after day."

The two first kicked around the idea = of a run=20 across the United States more than four years ago = while the=20 two were track and cross-country teammates at Bucknell = University in Lewisburg, Penn.

To Sehon, a former insurance company = employee=20 from Philadelphia, and Bronfenbrenner, a former = chemical=20 engineer from Allentown, Penn., the run seemed like = the right=20 decision thanks to the duo=92s insatiable love for = travel and=20 passion for running.

"All our friends told us that we=92d = never go=20 through with quitting our jobs to do this, so that = served as=20 even more motivation for us to do it," Sehon said. = "It=92s=20 always been, =91You=92re crazy, you=92re never going = to do it,=92 but=20 all our friends and family have wanted us to succeed = at=20 this."

So, after years of planning their = route, paying=20 off loans and mustering the courage to pound the = pavement for=20 five straight months, the two began their journey in = Sea=20 Bright, N.J., Feb. 23.

Covering approximately 20 miles per = day, Sehon=20 and Bronfenbrenner spend each night with prearranged = hosts who=20 offer a night=92s stay either upon meeting them or by = contacting=20 them through their Web site, www.runtheusa.com. If a = place to=20 stay is not found, the two camp out under the = stars.

Sehon said, of all the states the two = have=20 covered since beginning the trip, Missouri has been by = far the=20 most interesting, containing both the most friendly = and=20 unfriendly of residents.

"Missouri=92s very interesting," Sehon = said. "It=20 seems like three out of every four cars, people wave, = but at=20 the same time, we=92ve been stopped three times by the = police=20 here just because we =91looked suspicious.=92"

The duo plans to end their = cross-country run=20 with their feet in the Pacific Ocean around Aug. 9. = From=20 there, Sehon plans to return to Philadelphia to work = and train=20 for the 2008 Olympic trials while Bronfenbrenner will = attend=20 graduate school at the University of = California-Berkeley in=20 the fall. While the two both acknowledge that their = trip is=20 already the experience of a lifetime, they offer words = of=20 encouragement, yet caution to aspiring "cross-country" = runners.

"When we=92ll talk about this in the = future, we=92ll=20 only think of the good things because there=92s a lot = of stuff=20 we=92re going through right now that=92s not fun," = Sehon said.=20 "But it=92s going to be something we will talk about = for the=20 rest of our lives."

Bronfenbrenner expressed caution on a = different=20 factor to Northwest students who may one day consider = the=20 jaunt.

"Wait until you=92re out of college," = he said.=20 "You=92ll still need more time than you have all = summer."

To track Sehon and Bronfenbrenner=92s = route across=20 the United States as well as to see if their nightly = lodging=20 has been secured, log on to their website, = www.runtheusa.com.=20 Contact information is also available for those who = would like=20 to host the runners for a night.