A very ambitious long-distance runner is making an extraordinary journey.
Robert Pope, of England, is reenacting the iconic running scene from the movie “Forrest Gump,” by running from one coast to the other and then back again.
Pope made a pit stop in Boston and spoke with 7News about why he’s going the distance.
He may not be from Greenbow, Alabama, but the long-distance runner is channeling his inner Forrest Gump.
“The idea of Forrest Gump started to creep in and then you think, is it possible? Could I do it? The only way to find out is to give it a go,” said Pope.
Pope began reenacting the fictional cross-country run in September 2016. His journey began in Alabama and took him to the west coast. Pope then jogged all the way to the east, where he made a special pit stop.
“Last week I had the pleasure of running the greatest race in the world, the Boston Marathon,” he said.
Pope continued on from Boston to New Hampshire on Monday, and he’ll soon go back west.
It’s more than a 15,000 mile trek in total.
Pope is running for a reason. His journey is helping raise thousands of dollars for charities. He’s hoping to gain a great amount of support along the way.
“I’m just going to try and run through America, chat with everyone with a smile on their face and hopefully people will get behind it,” he said.
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