LOUISVILLE, KY- Three miles down, only 47 more to go. Before he left Louisville city limits Steve Schwalbach took a TV time out to tell Spectrum News 1 about, "Jackie's Run," the fundraising event honoring the memory of his late mother. 

"She battled Alzheimer’s for fifteen years and she was bedridden the last eight. And when she was bedridden I was thinking what can I do to help my mom," Schwalbach said. 

Since 2014 he's embarked on seven running challenges to raise money and awareness of Alzheimer's and Dementia.

This year he's running 50 miles from Louisville to the Capitol steps in Frankfort. Once there he'll be joined by supports from across the commonwealth. 

"This disease, we need a cure and we need a cure now. The Baby Boomers are getting older and they are the ones getting Alzheimer's at this point," Schwalbach said. The Fort Thomas man is joined on this journey by his friend Janet Christoff. 

"My father-in-law died just this past week. He had dementia. My step-dad died at 93 with dementia and we know it’s just a very very important cause," Christoff said. 

In six years, Schwalbach, a life-long-runner has logged for more than 1,400 miles for the cause. 

The Alzheimer's Association of Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana says some type of Dementia affects 1 in 3 senior citizens. 

“I chose to run. I’ve been running all the life and I really wanted to put running in and make a difference with Alzheimer’s."