This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
When Marc Warren hops on his bike at 5 a.m. on Friday, July 25, at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, there’s more at play than just gears and gravel. The 68-year-old Boalsburg resident is taking on 150 miles of terrain not only as a personal challenge, but to raise funds and awareness for the Jana Marie Foundation, a Centre County nonprofit dedicated to mental health education and suicide prevention.
And while it might sound like a grueling solo trek, for Warren, it’s therapy, it’s purpose, it’s hope on two wheels.
“I leave Pittsburgh with a mental backpack,” Warren said. “And hopefully it’s light. Sometimes it’s not. But by the time I’m halfway through the ride, it’s like there’s a parallel road next to me where all the troubles live. On my road, I’m lighter. “
Warren’s journey began nearly a decade ago when he and his daughter completed the Great Allegheny Passage, a scenic trail stretching from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. That first father-daughter ride wasn’t just a bonding experience. It also lit a spark. The next year, he repeated the ride on his own.
Then he had a thought: “What if I could turn this into something more?”
He started fundraising for various causes, but when suicide touched two people in his life, he turned to the Jana Marie Foundation.
“Sadly, two people in my circle suffered the unthinkable pain of losing a loved one to suicide,” he said. “I knew about the Jana Marie Foundation for a long time. I approached them and I said, ‘Can I raise money for you guys?’ They said absolutely.”
Last year, Warren raised over $15,000 for Jana Marie Foundation through his ride. This year, in spite of economic challenges, Warren hopes to meet and exceed last year’s donations.
For Warren, this isn’t about the distance. It’s about the metaphor. The uphill battle, the ruts in the trail, the dark tunnels where the light on his helmet flickers or goes out completely. The parallels to navigating the trail are applied to his everyday life.
“There’s no shortcut.” Warren said. “You have to keep pedaling. You hit points where you think you can’t go on. But you can. You always have more in the tank.”
Warren’s words aren’t just poetic, they’re lived. In 2008, he suffered a brain hemorrhage. Doctors weren’t sure if he’d survive. But he came back. Slowly. Gratefully. And with a new outlook on what matters.
“I’m not a pro athlete,” he said. “But I’m lucky I can do this. That I can ride. That I can move. It’s a gift.”
The route isn’t for the faint of heart. From Pittsburgh, the Great Allegheny Passage gradually ascends to the Eastern Continental Divide before descending into Cumberland, Maryland. The path is mostly rail-trail: gravel, hard-packed dirt and sometimes mud. If the weather turns sour, so does the trail. Black bears are a possibility. Cell phone signals are spotty. And the 10.5-hour ride tests the body and soul alike.
Warren has fitted his vintage Panasonic Road bike, bought in 1982, with updated components in preparation for the journey. It’s been x-rayed for structural soundness, powder-coated and retrofitted with modern gears and brakes. All tools to get him to the finish line.
But it’s that one-mile-to-go marker that always gets him.
“It occurred to me the other day that there’s only one way to get that feeling,” Warren said. “That there’s one mile to go after something very arduous. And that’s to put in the time and get to that one mile. There’s no shortcut.”
“The only way to feel what it’s like to be one mile from finishing something hard is to do it. You have to earn it. And it’s incredible,” Warren continued.
Beyond raising funds, Warren hopes his ride sends a message.
“I want people to know: you’re doing great,” he said. “You have more to do but acknowledge how far you’ve come. And if that front wheel is still turning — even slowly — you’re moving forward.”
He signs off most emails with two words: “Keep pedaling.” It’s a motto born of cycling and real-life resilience. And for Warren, it’s more than encouragement. It’s survival.
“When you’re at the fringes of your ability, you tend to gain the most,” Warren said. “If you’re doing pushups and you can’t do one more, you try to do one more and you’re gaining from that last effort more than you did the first five or 10, whatever you did.”
Warren will depart Pittsburgh early Friday, July 25, and expects to reach Cumberland by late afternoon. Folks who want to support his ride and the Jana Marie Foundation can visit janamariefoundation.org/marc to donate directly.
