Three years ago, Jack Witzig set a lofty goal for himself. He wanted to run every street in Camden County, New Jersey, minus the highways.
“It was 2,116 street miles but it took me more than 3,600 miles to run because, like every time you run down a dead-end road or a cul-de-sac there’s, you have to go in, you have to go out,” Witzig, of Merchantville, New Jersey, told NBC10.
Witzig said he ran in honor of his father, Don, who was a well-known track and cross country coach at Cherry Hill East and Cherokee High School.
“To help raise awareness of Lewy body dementia, which is the disease that took my dad’s life,” Witzig said.
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Along the way, Witzig kept track of his journey each day.
“Strava is a website that runners use to keep track of their runs and the city strides were telling me where I had been, where I hadn’t been,” he said.
For every mile he ran, Witzig donated a dollar to the Lewy Body Dementia Association.
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On New Year’s Eve, Witzig arrived at his final stop on his long list, Cheryl Ann Court in Winslow Township, New Jersey. It’s a name that means a lot to him.
“My wife’s first name is Cheryl, her middle name is Ann and she’s been amazingly supportive of this entire effort,” he said.
His wife fought back tears as she thought about her husband’s accomplishment.
“Knowing how important running was to his dad and, support for, funding for Lewy body dementia, it seemed to make logical sense for him to try his best,” she said. “It just touched me deeply."
