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Jesse Riley Dedicates Journey Run to Clinton

Although he has lived in Florida for the past eleven years, Riley grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, the capital of Clinton's home state, and he still calls Arkansas home. Now 2412 kilometres and 41 days into his Trans-Australian run (with about 1,500 kilometres still to go) Riley said he is getting stronger by the day, and thinks Clinton will to.

"The American people are behind him. He's another Aussie Battler, a fighter," said Riley, whose brother John is driving a caravan and providing support along the way. "We're far from home now but our hearts our with him. We're thinking about our hometown boy."

Honourable man An Aussie Battler is slang for a an honourable man who works hard but is down on his luck. "Australians think Americans are crazy, trying to impeach a president for something like this," Riley said. "They just can't believe it. When we stop to eat and talk, and they shake their heads. They don't even say it's hypocritical. It's so far beyond that, they don't have words for it."

Riley said he has kept up on the Clinton controversy throughout the run by listening to the radio and reading newspapers. "I'll probably get criticized for sticking up for him, but I don't care. He's one of us and we're proud of him."

Officially, the Trans-Australia Race (which attracted only two runners, both Americans) became a one-man race on Day 32, when Don Winkley of Corpus Christi, Texas, dropped out. Winkley remained with the Riley and his brother until Day 35 when they drove him to Woomera and dropped him off.

"Don said he was going to do some sightseeing and a little more training. My guess is that he will be Australia another month to six weeks. He was going to catch a bus or train from Woomera."

With the rough gravel roads now behind, Riley said he is picking up the pace (to about 68 kilometres a day at seven kilometres and hour) and feeling fit.

"I've lost about 12 kilos of weight. I'm now down to about 88 kilos and I feel like I'm starting to get in shape. It's amazing how much spring I've got in my legs, now that I don't have to look down all the time and pick my steps over the gravel roads. Not a lot of the roads are paved in Australia. It's great to be running on the bitumen now. That's what they call it here -- the bitumen."

Riley said he has seen virtually no other runners since he left Perth -- "only a couple of distance cyclists, really. People think we're a little odd. Bartenders - they take the piss out of you, that's another Australian expression, but it's all in fun. There's a tradition of similar things. They think it's weird but not unprecedented. ... It's fun. Tell everyone we're having a great time, but most of all be sure to say that, from here on, this run is for our boy, Bill!"

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