Route66Project

Running the historic Route 66 and set a Guinness World Record, while encouraging people to take up running as the simplest form of exercise.

My name is Edyta Lewandowska. I am a medalist of the Polish Championships, the vice-world champion in Mountain Running Masters, and a Polish champion in street marathon, mountain marathon, Skyrunning Ultra, and ultra long-distance running.
In 1972, John Ball ran Route 66 in 54 days. I have decided to run the American Route 66 in a record-breaking time of 50 days, which is a distance of 3940 km. So far, no woman in the world has accomplished this feat. I have a chance to enter the Guinness Book of Records with this run.

With my project, I want to show the world how strong women are and how much they can achieve to fulfill their dreams. I want to show how powerful women are and how determined they can be. I want to demonstrate how important health is and how easy it is to take care of our health by jogging and being active. Physical activity is the fundamental way to maintain good health.

The project has an additional charitable aspect. I want to increase awareness of brain, neck, and head cancers. I want to draw attention to preventive cancer screenings and general health check-ups. My mother died of brain cancer in 2005, just a few moments before my marathon in Rome.

"I found out about my mother's death just before the start of the marathon in Rome. When I was leaving for the competition, she told me to run after my dreams. She asked me not to look back, to live for what I love. She was already in an advanced stage of brain cancer, and we could only talk to her when she felt better. I don't remember that race. I ran and swallowed tears. Thoughts were racing through my head that life is unfair, that I have to leave the race and return to Poland. But I finished. I don't know how, but I achieved one of my best results in Rome. I know she ran with me.

It has been 18 years since she passed away. Over the years, I have matured and this time I will run for her. I will run the Mother Road, the Greatest Road, the Road of Hope, the legendary Route 66, to achieve my sporting Everest and give hope to others. I will run for myself and for others, for those who cannot run. Run with me. Let's run together. To promote prevention, to give strength, to support the fight so that the tears at the finish line are only of joy, not helplessness and pain. Because life is a journey."

www.route66project.com

www.edytalewandowska.com