Clean water—and how to get it to people—weighs heavily on Chicagoan Rusty Funk.
This month, Funk has been running 6 kilometers, 3.73 miles, from his South Loop home to Oak Street Beach to fill up a jerrycan of water that he straps onto his back before walking home 40 pounds heavier.
The 2 1/2-hour trek is to promote and gear up for Saturday’s World Vision’s 6K for Water race at Montrose Harbor to benefit people in Kenya who on average have to travel 6 kilometers to get water, which is often unsafe to drink.
“When I’m hurting out there, I think, ‘Holy cow, these women and children have strength and grit,’ ” said Funk, 30, the race director.
On his most recent trip to Kenya in May, Funk met Jen Kipsong, who said she had been praying for clean water to come since 1985, as long as Funk has been alive. That’s whom he thinks of when he’s running to the lakefront or walking home.
“I never had to feel their pain,” Funk said. “It’s just humbled me.”
Carrying that water has taken a toll on his body. His back aches, his muscles are sore and his shoulders have rope burns from the straps he uses to carry the jug.
“This is single-handedly the hardest thing I’ve ever done because it’s day in and day out,” Funk said.
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This coming from an Ironman competitor and runner with multiple marathons under his belt. He’s had to tell himself to suck it up on the days he’s not feeling well or when his mind tries to convince him to skip the trip.
He’s visited Africa six times to learn about the clean water projects needed for a community, which can range from wells and pipelines to water kiosks and water pans, and to help raise money for World Vision, a nonprofit humanitarian organization and nongovernmental provider of clean water in the developing world.
The $50 race registration fee goes toward providing clean water to the person whose face is on the race bib and removing that 6K journey for him or her, he said.
By doing the jerrycan challenge, which is incorporated into the race itself for runners who choose to do it, Funk is aiming to show people how much he cares about the cause and how serious it is.
“We are just so lucky in the United States. The problems we have, the pain we have—I know people have gone through rough times—the pain we feel here pales in comparison to people around the world,” he said.