RIT Coast-to-Coast Runners Beat 1979 Record, Finish Nov. 29

Run RIT, run. A coast-to-coast run commemorating Rochester Institute of Technology's 175th anniversary will finish in record time at approximately 7 p.m., Nov. 29, at the city docks in Annapolis, Md., near the United States Naval Academy.

Eighteen runners have been trekking across the United States in a 2,730-mile continuous relay run since Nov. 17 where the run kicked off in San Diego, Calif. The 1979 coast-to-coast run, celebrating RIT's 150th anniversary, was completed in 14 days, 4 hours, and 8 minutes, which at the time was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Each runner—a member or alumni of the RIT men's and women's cross country team—completes a two-mile interval, then rests for 3.5 hours before joining the relay again.

The cross-country trek began at La Jolla Shores, at sea level, and continued across the continent, through 13 states and all four time zones. The team spent Thanksgiving on the road crossing the Mississippi River and traveling through St. Louis, Mo. and Capitol Oaks, Ill.

Today they will run past the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and through Arlington National Cemetery, finishing at the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, Md.

After the runners return to RIT, a welcoming celebration will be held at 4:15 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, at the administration circle by The Sentinel sculpture.

To stay updated on the runners' progress, read their blog and view photos, visit www.ritcoasttocoastrun.com. To get in touch with the team, contact Todd Spivak, on-the-road media contact, at 845-797-9608.