Running Pastor going the extra mile to beat Alzheimer’s

Published 3:10 pm Thursday, September 3, 2015

Reporter staff

The Running Pastor is at it again.

Mark Joneschiet, Auburn’s Minister of Miles, plans to run from Enumclaw to Auburn on Saturday morning – a 14.5-mile jaunt – to raise awareness and support for the Alzheimer’s Association and its fight against the country’s third-leading cause of death.

Joneschiet, a pastor at International House of Prayer Northwest in Federal Way, contributes to many causes through his nonprofit ministry called The Running Pastor.

Joneschiet plans to leave The Kettle, 1666 Garrett St., Enumclaw, at 7:30 a.m. and follow Highway 164 to Les Gove Park. He invites others to join him.

Saturday’s run is in conjunction with Joneschiet’s participation in the Alzheimer’s Association’s shorter “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” set for Sept. 13 in Tacoma.

Runners are invited to join Joneschiet on the run.

“I’m doing this extra because I feel, as a long distance runner, that I need to do more than a two-mile walk to help the Alzheimer’s organization,” Joneschiet said of Saturday’s run. “I’m doing this so I can spotlight the effort a little stronger.

“Since I have begun the nonprofit in April, I have logged 802 miles, the distance from Ocean Shores, to Bozeman, Montana.  People interested can see a map of my progress on my website at runningpastor.net if they scroll to the bottom of the first page, or on the map page.

“Having lived in a family that has been influenced and affected by dementia (Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia and is one of the forms of dementia that Alzheimer’s Association is seeking a cure for), I am doing my utmost to help them discover a cure by using something that God has given me (my passion for running) to help them raise funds to fight this insidious malady.”

Further information can be found at runningpastor.net. Questions can be directed to runningpastornw@gmail.com.