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Running to the Rock

One Camper Parent's Journey to HoneyRock

By HoneyRock Center for Leadership Development

July 14^th, 2023

Every summer, hundreds of campers excitedly climb into buses on Wheaton College’s campus and take the long journey up north to HoneyRock for summer camp. The 350 miles between Wheaton and Three Lakes is a familiar journey to many families who have brought their children to summer camp. One dad, Adam Pratt, set out to experience these miles in a whole new way: by foot.

After dropping off his kids for summer camp at the buses, Adam laced up his shoes and ran to Family Day, where he will reunite with his family, all to raise money to further support the mission of HoneyRock. “I loved HoneyRock as a [Wheaton] student, but it means even more to me as a parent. We appreciate the purposeful focus on faith, character, community, and skills. I’ve completed 75+ marathons, seven 100-mile ultramarathons, and a few 200-mile fastpack hikes, so I’m excited to attempt my longest run ever to encourage others to give to HoneyRock. The goal is 350 miles in eleven days to arrive in time for Family Day!"

Total Raised: $44,923.00

Adam Pratt completed his Running to the Rock challenge! He ran from Wheaton College to HoneyRock; 360 miles in just 12 days. Along the way, he raised over $44,000 for our wilderness trip programs. Thank you, Adam! We are so grateful to have partnered with you on this adventure.

We are blown away by the generosity of our Partners. Thank you for supporting Adam by giving, praying, and cheering him on. The money raised from Adam’s journey was used to update our wilderness trip equipment and enhance our wilderness trip program.

DAY ELEVEN

Thursday, July 19, 2023 | 350 miles out of 360 miles

After today's 36-mile run, Adam arrived in Three Lakes! He felt great today; in fact, he ran his last three miles at a ten-minute or less pace! After a long journey, Adam will run his final few miles into HoneyRock tomorrow morning!

He's almost accomplished both of his goals: to run 350+ miles to HoneyRock, and to raise $35,000 for HoneyRock's wilderness programs.

DAY TEN

Wednesday, July 19, 2023 | 315 miles out of 350 miles

Day ten is complete! Adam ran 37 miles today, bringing him to Deerbrook, WI.

Adam's tenth day of running was rainy but still filled with encouragement along the way, like great food and beautiful views. He got a visit from Dr. Rob Ribbe, who stopped and met Adam on the road as he ran along Highway 45 north of Antigo. Adam rested at a camp in Deerbrook and felt great as he continued his run.

Only two more days to go, and Adam will soon be at HoneyRock! We are excited to welcome him back!

DAY NINE

Tuesday, July 18, 2023 | 278 miles out of 350 miles

Adam conquered day nine, which proved to be quite the challenge! After downed trees, closed roads and bridges, and a few detours, Adam ran a total of 41 miles today. We are grateful for Adam's resiliency and discipline to continue despite difficult, unexpected circumstances.

Join us in praying for Adam as he rests in Birnamwood tonight, and as he has another big day of running tomorrow!

DAY EIGHT

Monday, July 17, 2023 | 237 miles out of 350 miles

22 miles of no rain and beautiful views for Adam on his eighth consecutive day of running! He started his morning at a local diner to get a proper breakfast before hitting the road again. Tonight he will be camping in a park in Clintonville, WI underneath a pavilion. Pray for great rest as he gets ready for long mileage days ahead!

DAY SEVEN

Sunday, July 16, 2023 | 215 miles out of 350 miles

Adam has officially been running for one week! After 28 miles in about seven hours, he has arrived in Hortonville, Wisconsin. Fun fact: Adam spent his evening in a nursery (see picture). The owner was kind enough to leave the doors unlocked so that Adam could enjoy a dry, beautiful spot during a thunder storm.

Adam is in good spirits and is excited to see HoneyRock in just a few more days!

DAY SIX

Saturday, July 15, 2023 | 187 miles out of 350 miles

Day six, and after running 20 miles, Adam has made is to Oshkosh, Wisconsin! It was a shorter day, and Adam made it to his hotel in Oshkosh by 11:00 AM. He had a great afternoon of rest and will hit the trails fresh tomorrow.

DAY FIVE

Friday, July 14, 2023 | 167 miles out of 350 miles

Day five is complete, and Adam made it to Fond Du Lac! It was a hot day out there, but he ran 22.5 miles in about 6 hours (including a few stops along the way).

Adam is feeling great and was able to take the afternoon and evening to rest, grab a shower, eat some good food, and sleep in a hotel bed!

DAY FOUR

Thursday, July 13, 2023 | 144.25 miles out of 350 miles

Adam ran 34 miles through southern Wisconsin today. It was a challenging day, and Adam reported that even though physically he was feeling okay, he was struggling to focus on the run ahead during the first 15 miles. After stopping for lunch at a local farm on his route, he pushed onward and even managed to run his last mile in eight minutes! What a day!

Day five should be a shorter day (22 miles), so join us in praying for rest and recovery for Adam tomorrow!

DAY THREE

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 | 110.25 miles out of 350 miles

Day three was a 27-mile run, which included a beautiful run through Kettle Moraine, 3 breakfasts, two lunches, and seven miles of rain.

Overall, Adam is in good spirits as he continues north to HoneyRock!

DAY TWO

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 | 83.25 miles out of 350 miles

In a change of plans, Adam ran fifty miles on day two!

With rain predicted for Wednesday, Adam chose to amend his original plan and run fifty miles to avoid the storms ahead. He was fueled by Culvers and beautiful views along running trails and back roads. He arrived safely in East Troy Tuesday night (he even ran his last mile in ten minutes!) and got a great night of rest.

DAY ONE

Monday, July 10, 2023 | 33.25 miles out of 350 miles

Adam’s big run began from our camper buses on Wheaton’s campus this morning! Here's his daily update:

"Today was great! 33.25 miles. High temps at 87 but lots of shade. My wife Cindy ran the first three miles with me, and my friend John ran the first seventeen. I finished in Crystal Lake and feel great! Lunch was chocolate milk, cherries, and a lime popsicle, and I drank a ton of fluids.

At mile seven, we helped a stranded cyclist by pumping up his flat tire for him. His pump was broken, but luckily I had mine for the stroller!

Tomorrow's destination is Lake Geneva, which will be about a 30-mile run!"

Stay tuned for more updates daily!

I loved HoneyRock as a [Wheaton] student, but it means even more to me as a parent. We appreciate the purposeful focus on faith, character, community, and skills.

We asked Adam to tell us more about this wild adventure he’s about to go on:

Adam, how did you come up with the idea to run from Wheaton to HoneyRock?

I’ve been dreaming about this for years! Every year we drive up for Family Day, we spend a night in a local hotel and I run 11 miles from Eagle River to Honey Rock. I enjoy those runs, but I’ve always wondered if I could run all the way from the Wheaton College campus while my kids were at camp for two weeks.

What does training look like for you?

I recently completed a 68-mile run from Wheaton College to Lake Geneva that was a test of my fitness, jog stroller, bivy, and nutrition. That went well, and for the next few months, I’ll be running 1-2 marathons every weekend on top of weekly mileage to build my physical endurance and sharpen my mental confidence.

What will you eat while you run? Where will you sleep?

I plan to eat along the way at grocery stores and restaurants, but I’ll also carry 1-2 days of food with me in case things don’t go as planned and to sustain me through the less-populated sections of Wisconsin.

I love sleeping outdoors, so I plan to sleep in my bivy most nights; I also have some camps, YMCAs, and parks that have agreed to host me. If anybody has a shower and a backyard between Fond du Lac and Three Lakes and would be willing to host a tired runner, please contact me at adam@adampratt.com!

Are you afraid of failure?

I used to be more afraid of failure, but in recent years I’ve become more fearless and willing to set bigger goals. I’d rather come up short in a huge, challenging adventure than comfortably accomplish a small goal. Not being 100% confident I can achieve my goal is part of the thrill and motivation.