Arlington man runs cross country to raise money for clean water

FOX 5's Tisha Lewis introduces us to Mike Wardian, a local man who is running across the country in an effort to raise money for clean water.

He’s being called the modern-day Forrest Gump.

An Arlington man is running cross country to raise money and awareness about the need for clean water. He’s passing through the DMV this week.

His name is Mark Wardian, and he’s heading toward Darlington, Maryland.

This is all part of a 3,000-mile, 75-day journey across the country, ending in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Wardian says he’s running about 50 miles a day.

He’s no stranger to running distances.

The 48-year-old says he’s finished more than 300 marathons, and has even broken some world records.

His goal is to raise $100,000 for World Vision’s clean water projects.

Wardian says he’s been joined by family and friends who are documenting his journey from snow to heat.

He tells FOX 5 the biggest challenge so far has been traffic.

If folks want to waive hello, he’ll be running along Route 1 in Maryland later this week.

You can visit teamworldvision.com to track his journey.