The First Step

September 8, 2026

There are moments in life when you realize that waiting for things to change isn't going to change anything.

For Zac Deel, that moment has arrived.

Eye-level view of a winding trail through a dense forest

Why is Zac Running Across the Country?

On October 17, 2026, Zac will step out of Bristol, Tennessee and begin running west.

His destination is Los Angeles, California.

Between those two places are more than 2,800 miles of road.

And Zac plans to run them.

Alone.

Pushing his gear in an expedition cart.

With no support vehicle following behind him.

And here's the part that might make you question whether he's completely lost his mind:

Zac has never even run a full marathon.

He's a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt. He's a wrestling dad. He's an avid lifter. He's spent years training his body and pushing himself physically and mentally.

But running 2,800+ miles across the country?

That's new territory.

And that's exactly what makes this journey about so much more than running.

This isn't a Race

Zac isn't doing this to win a medal.

There isn't a finish-line trophy waiting for him in Los Angeles.

He's doing it because, for a long time, it felt like his life was in everyone else's hands.

Other people's decisions. Circumstances he couldn't control. Setbacks he didn't ask for. Plans that didn't work out.

It often felt like he was reacting to whatever life put in front of him instead of deciding what came next.

He's done with that.

This time, Zac is choosing the road.

He's choosing the direction.

He's choosing what comes next.

And he's putting one foot in front of the other until he gets there.

Why Los Angeles?

The destination matters.

But what happens after he gets there matters even more.

Zac isn't looking at this as one crazy thing he'll do and then move on from.

He's looking at it as a beginning.

The goal is to use this journey as the launch point for a new career as a creator, storyteller, athlete, and entrepreneur and to build something that can give his family a genuine fresh start.

He wants to create a future where his family isn't constantly waiting to see what happens next.

He wants to build something of his own.

And he wants his four kids to watch their dad take an idea that sounds completely unreasonable, start with what he has, and turn it into something real.

The run is the first chapter.

What comes after it is the future he's trying to build.

2,800+ Miles. 70 Days. Spend Christmas with his Family.

There is one promise sitting underneath this entire expedition:

Zac wants to spend Christmas with his family.

He'll leave Bristol on October 17 and work his way across the country with the goal of reaching the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles on December 24.

That means more than 2,800 miles.

Roughly 70 days.

Thousands of miles of pavement, weather, exhaustion, uncertainty, unexpected problems, and moments we'll never be able to predict from Bristol.

But also thousands of opportunities.

People he'll meet.

Places he'll see.

Stories he'll collect.

And miles that will become memories.

The goal isn't simply to reach Los Angeles.

It's to make the journey mean something.

We're Building this from the Ground Up

Here's another important part of this story:

We don't have everything we need yet.

There isn't a giant production crew behind this.

There isn't a support vehicle.

There isn't an unlimited budget sitting in the bank.

We're figuring this out as we go.

The cart. The equipment. The food and hydration. Safety and communication. Lodging and resupply. The route. The content. The logistics.

We're building the expedition from the ground up and inviting other people to become part of it.

That's why you'll see the Sponsor a Mile campaign, opportunities for businesses to partner with Zac, and ways for people to support the journey.

Because while Zac may be the one running 2,800+ miles, he doesn't have to build this alone.

Every Mile Will Have a Story

This website will be more than a place to watch Zac's social media posts.

It will be the home of the Bristol to LA Project.

We'll use this space to document the journey from beginning to end: training, preparation, gear, route changes, milestones, setbacks, people we meet, sponsors who step up, and the moments that don't fit neatly into a 60-second video.

When Zac hits a major milestone, you'll find it here.

When something goes completely wrong, you'll probably find that here too.

And when something incredible happens, you'll definitely find it here.

We'll share the real journey.. not just the polished version.

The Road Ahead

We don't know everything that's going to happen between Bristol and Los Angeles.

And honestly, that's part of what makes this exciting.

We know where Zac is starting.

We know where he's trying to finish.

Everything in between has to be earned.

One day.

One mile.

One step at a time.

And when he finally reaches Los Angeles, we don't want the story to end.

We want to look back at those 2,800+ miles and know they were the beginning of something bigger.

A new career.

A fresh start.

A different future for his family.

And proof that sometimes, when life has spent years deciding your direction for you, the most powerful thing you can do is finally take the wheel.

Zac isn't running away.

He's running toward what's next.

This Only Works if You Come With Us

Here's the truth:

Zac can run 2,800+ miles. But he can't make this story reach people by himself.

This journey only becomes something bigger if people watching decide to become part of it.

If you believe in what Zac is trying to do, share his story.

Send it to someone who needs to see it.

Share his videos.

Follow the journey.

Talk about it.

Tag someone who would understand why a dad would leave Bristol with a cart and a completely unreasonable goal.

And if you're on the Road..

Run with him.

If Zac's route takes him through your town, and you're able and willing to join him safely for a few miles, we want you there.

You don't have to run a marathon.

You don't have to be an experienced runner.

You don't even have to be fast.

Come run a mile. Come run five. Walk with him. Bring your family. Bring your running club. Bring your friends.

Whatever you can do, come be part of the journey.

We'll share opportunities to join Zac along the route as the expedition gets closer and as his location becomes known. These moments will become part of the story we'll document along the way.

Imagine Zac looking up somewhere in the middle of the country and realizing he's no longer running alone.

That's the kind of journey we want to build.

And if you have the ability to support the journey financially, sponsor a stretch of miles or help us connect with a business that wants to come alongside Zac.

Because every share puts this story in front of someone new.

Every person who follows gives Zac another reason to keep going.

Every sponsor helps make another part of the journey possible.

And every person who runs beside him becomes part of the miles themselves.

We don't want people to simply watch Zac run across the country.

We want them to feel like they're running it with him.

This isn't a story Zac can build alone.

It's a journey we're inviting you to become part of.

A Long Road for a Brighter Tomorrow.

Bristol, Tennessee → Los Angeles, California

October 17 – December 24, 2026