Fueled On Inspiration (and Twizzlers) Former Akron Teammates Run 90 Miles To Raise Money For Two Causes

By Theresa Juva Brown for DyeStat

(Photos by Joshua Gunter, Cleveland.com)

At one point during their 90-mile run through Ohio this month, Jeremiah Fitzgerald and Nick Stricklen miscalculated the distance to their next rest stop.

Utterly exhausted, they realized they would have to run a couple miles farther than they initially thought. 

In that agonizing moment, they suddenly saw a group of strangers along the trail, cheering and holding out cold water for them. 

“Not only that, but one of them starting running with us and offering energy gels and other running nutrition,” recalled Fitzgerald, 23.

“I couldn’t believe these people —  that I didn’t even know — came out to help us. It really gave me a second wind  — or third or fourth — and inspired me to keep going.”

Without those mind-boosting moments from family, friends and strangers, the former University of Akron cross country and track teammates said they never would have completed their 18-hour trek, which started in Zoarville on June 14, stretched the entire 87 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath trail and ended in downtown Cleveland.

“Finishing in downtown Cleveland and seeing the Jesse Owens Statue felt like the biggest relief,” said the 22-year-old Stricklen.

“It was that final stretch where I truly felt accomplished and proud of what we had done that day.”

The tremendous journey raised more than $6,000 for Black Lives Matter and The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The pair also ran in memory of Max Blechman, a friend's brother, who recently died by suicide. 

The pair had always talked about running the entire Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath — where they logged many miles as college runners — and finally organized the trip (in just 10 days) after deciding to make it a run with special meaning. 

“We ran 88 miles to the Jesse Owens Statue in Cleveland to honor the 88 Black Americans that had been killed by police in 2020, and 90 miles to raise awareness that 90 percent of suicide victims showed symptoms of mental health conditions beforehand,” Fitzgerald said.

Motivated by purpose, the men — whose longest runs until that point had been 20 miles — set out for the ultimate test of their minds and bodies. 

“I’d say Nick and I got through about 40 miles at 7:50 (per mile) pace pretty comfortably,” Fitzgerald said. “Then around halfway is when it started to get really tough. We took turns going through a couple of ‘dark spots’ where it was really tough and hard to think about how much further we still had to go.”

Friends, family and strangers were spread out along their route to provide them with much-needed fuel and encouragement. From energy gels and sports drinks to bagels and chips and Twizzlers, they consumed whatever they could get their hands on.

“I was very, very hungry at the stops, which is why we ate random things,” Stricklen said. 

At their 50-mile break, Fitzgerald enjoyed swigging a Thirsty Dog beer called the Towpath Terrier IPA.

“It’s brewed in Akron and had a map of the towpath on it,” he said. “That was my favorite part of the run.”

When nature called, they used portable toilets and public restrooms along the way, or made quick stops in the woods. 

Even with scheduled breaks to replenish (neither napped) and see family and friends, Fitzgerald and Stricklen wondered at times if they would be able to go on.

“I still cannot believe we finished the run,” Fitzgerald said. “ It was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” 

The friends ran side by side on the same path for 90 miles, but the recent Akron graduates are taking different roads in the days ahead. 

Fitzgerald is looking for a job as a mechanical engineer and hopes to continue to train and race with an eye on the marathon distance and long trail races. 

"Now that we're old and retired," he joked, "I'm not sure if we can handle any more 90-mile runs, but I'm sure we'll continue to go do things like backpacking trips." 

Stricklen — who is struggling with bad foot pain since the run and has no plans to run and compete anytime soon —  is about to move to Erie, Pa., to start medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“I am nervous for this next step in life, but I am excited to start a new journey,” he said.