(above) James Leitner ran 30 miles a day in July to raise money for a clean water system for the St. Elizabeth’s All-Girls School in Uganda.
NJ Man Runs 900 Miles to Raise Funds for Clean Water
Submitted by Annie Albrecht
July 15 marked the halfway point in James Leitner’s 900 mile ultra-endurance run to raise funds for his nonprofit, MissionCleanWater.
James, the 27-year-old founder of community-based clean water organization MissionCleanWater, ran 30 miles per day for 30 days during the month of July. His goal: to raise $30,000 for a clean water system for the St. Elizabeth’s All-Girls School in Uganda.
James kicked off his current fundraiser on July 1 at the crack of dawn. For the past month, he’s been running 37.5 laps on a .8 mile loop at Tamaques Park in Westfeild, NJ. At his half way point, with 450 miles completed and 450 miles to go, James has had some physical challenges to overcome.
“For the past 13 days, I have been pushing it to beat the heat. With high temperatures and high humidity, each day reaches the triple-digits. I have had good success with running the distance, dealing with the heat, and managing my pain,” James said.
“To calm down and relax, I am going to change my game plan for the next few days. I am going to try and start my day close to 5 a.m. and walk more. Slowing down and enjoying the day is only going to bring better success considering we are almost halfway!”
Despite the challenges, James isn’t giving up.
“With all of the ups and downs, emotional highs and lows, sleepless nights, and mental exhaustion, once you see your work benefiting someone or a community, it’s all worth it. It was not until I saw clean water flow from the taps, and not until I saw the community managing the system on their own, that I felt overwhelmed with emotion and teary eyed with happiness.”
James’ 900 mile run is the most recent in a series of ultra-endurance fundraising events.
In 2017, James walked 3,250 miles from New Jersey to California while pulling 10 gallons of water to raise money for a clean water system in Tanzania. The walk, which took him 143 days, symbolized the distance that women and girls in Africa walk every year fetching water for their families. In fall 2019, James ran 100 miles in 24 hours, all on a .8 mile loop (that’s over 130 laps!). For another ultra-endurance fundraiser, James ran a marathon a month for 12 straight months, all while carrying 45 lbs of water over his head.
James’ endurance fundraisers have funded water systems that have helped 4,500 people and 1,500 students gain access to clean drinking water. Learn more and follow James in his journey at missioncleanwater.org/30miles.
