What a ride
Two alums hit the road for the adventure of a lifetime.
Mark Koerner ’23 and Matthew Smith ’23 spent the fall on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail — a 4,200-mile cross-country route mapped out by the Adventure Cycling Association.
Both were runners for TCNJ’s cross country team, so they assumed they were in shape for such a ride. But the Blue Ridge Mountains in the early days of the trip tested their strength. “We didn’t realize how hard it was until we did it,” says Smith.
The pair documented their travels on Instagram as they worked their way to a $10,000 fundraising goal for Ocean’s Harbor House, a New Jersey nonprofit that provides services to vulnerable youth.
“On social media, it’s ‘Oh, this is amazing,’” says Koerner. “But there was a lot of work between each of those posts.”
That work included surviving on Pop Tarts and peanut butter, repairing bike parts with duct tape, and a lot of towelette showers. We highlight some trip favorites here, but you can follow their full adventure on Instagram @mattandmarkcrossamerica.
Posted on February 1, 2024
