First they ran across Ethiopia, then Palestine. Now, a group of northern Michigan runners are heading to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On The Ground is teaming up with U.K.-based nonprofit Twin to tackle its “biggest, grandest project” yet, says founder Chris Treter, who also leads one of the nonprofit's many supporters, Higher Grounds Trading Co. in Traverse City.

The Run Across Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (RADRC) in May 2015 will be a seven-day, seven-marathon expedition along the shores of Lake Kivu – through mountains and along dirt roads – in this Great Lakes region of Africa.

The miles are one thing, but nothing this group isn’t used to – trekking 250 miles across Ethiopia and running five marathons in five days across Palestine. Physical challenge aside, this region has been declared by the United Nations as the most dangerous in the world – where a woman is reportedly raped nearly every minute.

“For me, personally, the Congo is one of the most important places in the world,” says Treter. “I’ve always wanted to go there and work.” He has gone twice in the last year in preparation for this latest project supporting community development in farming regions across the world.

The run will raise money and awareness for Project Congo, focused on female coffee farmers and cooperatives working toward gender equality. It is also supporting the reemergence of the coffee industry after 20 years of war left nearly six million people dead.

While women perform the majority of agricultural work in Africa, they are excluded from delivering and selling the crop, often leaving them unrecognized and unpaid. In addition to gender equality, the project will focus on women’s empowerment programs – from increasing their representation in the coffee industry, to having access to land and control of income to seed funding for small businesses beyond coffee.

Two local runners from past On The Ground projects – Meryl Marsh and Timothy Young – have already committed to the RADRC, says Treter, with more to join the team in coming months.

Treter says this project comes at a time when On The Ground has developed a lot more contacts and a lot more credibility for the work it is doing. In 2011, Run Across Ethiopia raised more than $200,000 to construct three schools serving some 1,500 children and its Run Across Palestine resulted in worldwide screenings of the documentary The People and The Olive.

From One Great Lake to Another

On The Ground is utilizing its annual local Solstice Run on June 20 to officially launch Project Congo. In addition to running the full 40 miles – which begins at sunset from the northernmost point of Leelanau County (North Lighthouse Point) and ends at sunrise at Clinch Park on West Grand Traverse Bay – there are three other running options: 20 miles, a relay and the final 10 miles.

The goal is to raise $30,000 to launch the first project in the Congo this summer and runners are raising money via pledges. There is also still time to sign up to run www.onthegroundglobal.org/solstice-run.