With only a slight prior awareness of each other, a trio of adventurists became fast friends after spending consecutive days together participating in a unique ultra-running event for a cause.
From April 13 to 16, Arlington Sports Hall of Famer and longtime world-renowned ultramarathoner Michael Wardian, along with MedStar Health employees Chris Heydrick and Chris Wilde, ran side-by-side for 47 1/2 hours.
At times they ran in 90-degree-plus heat as the trio led the Miles Across MedStar Health initiative’s nearly 200-mile run.
“It was 100% a team effort. We were the three amigos running together the whole time,” Heydrick said.
Along the way the three touched on various topics, encouraged each other during running stages in early-year heat, chatted, trash-talked, kidded, razzed each other, and shared and even embellished stories a bit.
“We had never met in person. Now, we are best friends and brothers and we will stay lifelong friends forever because of this,” Wardian said. “We learned enough about each other to be dangerous. They really stepped up, we worked together and were a good team.”
The initiative of the run was to raise awareness about the significant health benefits of movement, both big and small, Wardian said:
“If we were able to change one person that would be a good thing, but I think our impact will be bigger than that. We heard people say they will start to walk and run for exercise and that was cool. We love running, but for somebody else it could be cycling, walking, CrossFit, swimming. Just a way to move your body that helps keep you healthy.”
The event began in the dark on the morning of April 13 in Leonardtown, Md., at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital. The run finished the afternoon of April 16 at the MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore.
The runners made stops at 15 MedStar Health sites along the way, including 10 hospitals, engaging with employees and promoting wellness activities.
Among the regional stops the trio made were Georgetown University Hospital, Washington Hospital Center and the Montgomery Medical Center.
Officially, the three ran 170 miles, mostly on roads but finding some shortcuts along the way. That cut down on the total mileage.
The three ran 67 miles over 17 hours the first day, 52 over 16 the second, 38 over 11 the third and 13 over three-and-a-half the fourth.
Heydrick ran on track teams in high school and college, but the Miles Across run was something new.
“I’m inexperienced in multi-day long runs like that,” Heydrick said. “Those were the most miles in a week I have run in a while and the heat at times certainly was a variable.”
Heydrick said the cause was worthwhile and the results positive.
“The idea of getting people out every day to move their body in some way is the big takeaway,” Heydrick said. “If we got a few to run and work out because of this, it’s a huge success. Whatever it is, just a way to move your body that helps keep you healthy.”
Wilde is an ultramarathon runner, having finished more than a dozen 100-mile competitions and serves at remote ultramarathon aid stations.
“This is just a way for MedStar to showcase wellness and get the community involved,” Wilde said.
Wilde emphasized that movement doesn’t need to be intense or time-consuming, noting that even small amounts of daily activity can help improve overall well-being and reduce the risk of chronic conditions.
“Anybody who can move and is able to move should be moving,” Wilde said.
Raj Ratwani, vice president of scientific affairs at the MedStar Health Research Institute, was a major organizer of the event.
“This is designed to highlight movement as a key component of overall health, emphasizing both prevention and recovery,” Ratwani said.
Wardian got to know Ratwani during the event.
“I didn’t know him either, but I learned so much from him and others. There was so much knowledge and amount of care throughout the network; now Raj and I are big friends, too,” Wardian said.
Occasionally the three would be joined by a group of runners for a mile or so after some of their stops and restarts.
The 52-year-old Wardian said he learned through various evaluations of the runners that he had some physical deficiencies, like his lung capacity wasn’t 100%.
Wardian has been a worldwide ultra-marathon performer for decades. He holds various fastest-known-time running records in five countries and has participated in many unique races and events.
What Wardian has planned next is to run the 2,670-mile Pacific Crest Trail on the U.S. West Coast from Canada to Mexico. He will start July 15 and figures the journey could take 60 days.
“You spend any time with Michael, he is always coming up with cool ideas,” Heydrick said.
