Photo: Two Men Raising Awareness of HIV/AIDS by Running Minimum of a Marathon a Day from San Francisco to L...( LOS ANGELES Dec. 14 -- Mike Sacc...),Health

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mike Sacco and Lejon Boudreaux are running a minimum of a marathon a day for 14 days, withstanding bone-shattering pain, reckless drivers and tons of highway debris to get a message across.

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"We want 1 million African Americans to get tested by June 27, 2009, which is National HIV Testing Day," says Sacco, 26, who came up with the idea to combine his love of running with the need for HIV/AIDS awareness.

"Run in a Million" as this quest is called, is a part of a larger "Test 1 Million" campaign sponsored by the Black AIDS Institute in partnership with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and other leading national black organizations.

The Institute is sponsoring the Run in a Million that started Dec. 1 at the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge and ended at NIKETOWN in Los Angeles on Dec. 14. Nike is providing all running gear and accessories for both men.

"When Mike told me about his idea, I thought, that is awesome," said Boudreaux, 30, who is in the Air Force. "I couldn't think of anything better than to combine my joy of running and my desire to do something about HIV/AIDS. It seems like these days everyone is waiting for the next big thing. People forget about the power of one. One person can make a difference."

HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects African Americans in the United States, according to latest statistics from the CDC. Nearly half of the estimated 1.2 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS are black and 54 percent of all new HIV infections in the United States are among black Americans.

"When Mike first walked into my office, I thought "wow, here is a white guy who understands that the AIDS epidemic is not
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