A long-distance runner promoting national unity passed through Cass County on Monday, drawing support from residents in Edwardsburg.
Noah Coughlan is on a 5,500-mile journey on foot through all 50 states, pushing a jogging cart with an American flag. Shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, he was escorted up Main Street in Edwardsburg, where a small crowd gathered to cheer him on.
Cass County Commissioner Sam Barrera tells us he first heard about Coughlan on Sunday and reached out to him on Facebook. He then contacted Cass County’s marketing director, Ambrosia Neldon, who put in extra hours to arrange for a welcome reception.
“It just kind of stemmed from there,” Barrera said. “Let the sheriff’s department knew about it. The Edwardsburg Police Department knew about it. The fire department knew about it. And just a small gathering of people real quickly just kind of emerged out of nowhere in Edwardsburg at the museum and we patiently waited for him to show up. And when he did, we greeted him and there was kids there, there was all sorts of an audience there for him.”
Barrera presented Coughlan with a Cass County challenge coin in recognition of his endurance and message of perseverance. He says Cass County Board of Commissioners Chair Jeremiah Jones created coins the for individuals who demonstrate exceptional service or achievement.
“He took over, he gave every commissioner 10 coins to use to their discretion to be able to award them to citizens in our county or anyone particularly who we thought deemed fit. I have held onto mine, I haven’t used too many of them, but this felt like a really great opportunity to be able to publicly give that award out to somebody who is really doing something above and beyond.”
Barrera says it was an honor to welcome Coughlan as he made his way into town.
“There’s only so many people in history that are going to do the things that people like him are willing to do. When you’re talking about running through the entire United States, only the third person in history to do something like that, that’s a pretty big thing. So to be able, and then for it to just take part in our little town of Edwardsburg is a special moment.”
Coughlan stayed in town for about an hour.
“That’s one thing that stood out really about Noah. He stopped and talked to us like we were the ones doing something special when he was the one running across the country. And that was amazing. So for him to interact with the crowd, to interact with the children, it just, it was really nice.”
Coughlan later made his way through Niles. He’s completed several cross-country runs in the past, aims to become only the third person known to have crossed all 50 states on foot. He says his journey is meant to encourage unity and shared national pride, with no political message attached.
According to his website, once Coughlan reaches the west coast, he intends to cross Alaska and then complete his 50-state journey in Hawaii on July 4.
