Across the country in 49 days: Baker senior to run for charity
Madison Nasteff needed to find a way to fill her summer before starting her job designing running shoes for Nike. Then the perfect opportunity arose: a 49-day, 4000+ mile relay across the country. The run, 4K for Cancer, fundraises for the Ulman Foundation, which provides resources for young adults with cancer.
“I wasn’t sure it was a legit thing,” Nasteff, a Baker College senior, said. “I saw it from an Instagram ad.”
But Nasteff had been thinking about running across the country for a while. She hypothesized that maybe Instagram’s algorithm picked up on her internet searches and determined she was an avid runner. The chance to raise money for cancer patients and cancer survivors made the opportunity all the more worthwhile.
“It seemed like a really cool cause,” Nasteff said. “I could actually be making a real difference.”
Nasteff is starting in San Francisco and running to Baltimore in a team of 30. The group will tag-team running in 2-3 mile spurts as pairs. When they’re not running, they’ll rest in a van that heads to the next checkpoint. She’ll run a total of 10-15 miles a day. To prepare, she’s been training extensively.
“I’m definitely there in terms of [running] ten minute miles,” Nasteff said. “I’m just working on building up to exercising for 6 days a week.”
She won’t be running every day, though.
“Some of them are rest days where we just get to hang out in whatever city we’re in at that time and then some days are service days so we go and interact members of the community,” Nasteff said. “Ulman does a scholarship program for cancer survivors so we get to deliver two scholarships on the way, which’ll be really fun.”
All of the team’s food and lodging is donated. Each day two of the people who aren’t running ride in a van to secure food for the day.
“They drive to Chipotle or pizza places or grocery stores and ask them if they’ll donate whatever food for the day,” Nasteff said.
Nasteff is one of three directors of the run, so she’s taken on the responsibility of helping to ensure that the team will have a place to stay each night.
She said she’s excited that the route goes through Kansas City, Missouri, her hometown, and she’ll be securing hosts for that day.
“My parents will get us dinner and I’ll get to see my dogs and my family,” Nasteff said. “That’s what I’m most excited for.”
One requirement all runners must fulfill is raising $4,500. By asking family members, doing a fundraiser at Chipotle and other events, Nasteff has raised $3,328.35 so far.
Ian Frankel, a Martel College senior who donated in Nasteff’s name, said that after training for and running the Houston Marathon with Nasteff, he knows that she is mentally and physically tough.
“Physically running across the country is reason enough to be amazed,” Frankel said. “Running across the country to help others is reason to admire her.”
Frankel said he was happy to donate.
“If she’s running 4,000 miles, the least I can do is donate $40,” he said.
More from The Rice Thresher
Rice accepts 13% of record-setting ED applications
Rice accepted 13.2% of Early Decision applicants in its first round of admissions for the class of 2029, said Yvonne Romero da Silva, vice president for enrollment. With 2,970 total applicants, this year saw yet another record-high; a 3% increase from last year’s previous high of 2,886. An additional 100 students gained admission through the Questbridge National College Match program, an uptick from last year’s 77.
Students reject divestment proposals
The student body voted to pass S.REF 01, which asks the Rice Management Company to disclose all of its holdings investments, but rejected the remaining divestment proposals. While every ballot measure gained a majority of votes in favor, the remaining three did not achieve the two-thirds majority required to pass.
Student organizations form coalition to support SA referenda
Four Student Association referenda open for the general student body vote today at noon. The referenda call for disclosure of Rice Management Company holdings and divestment from entities that profit off the Israel-Hamas war. The referenda also ask that Rice release a statement condemning genocide and materially support anti-colonial scholarship. Voting will close Dec. 11 at noon and the results will be published the next day. For the referenda to pass, a two-thirds majority with a 20% student body turnout is needed.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.