Forrest Gump is a legendary fictional character from cinema. Played by Tom Hanks, this simple-minded guy pulls off extraordinary feats, and he stands out for his running talent. One of his most iconic achievements is running back and forth across the United States multiple times. Let’s retrace the epic journey.
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A running adventure that lasted 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours
The first time young Forrest runs, it’s to escape some kids at school who bully him. He takes off while his friend Jenny cheers him on: “Run, Forrest, run!” Without realizing it, he’s stepping straight into the world of ultra-endurance.
One day, sitting quietly on the porch of his Alabama home, he stands up: “I decided to go for a little run. For no particular reason, I just kept on running.” A few days later, he finds himself at the Pacific Ocean on the legendary Santa Monica Pier in California. Then he crosses the United States to reach the Atlantic Ocean.
With no clear goal, he keeps stacking miles: “When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.”
He finally stops after 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours, right in the heart of Monument Valley in Utah. Over the whole trip, he would have covered around 25,000 kilometers (about 15,500 miles). That’s an average of 150 kilometers per week, or roughly 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) per day.
Here’s the map retracing his fictional route.
How could Forrest Gump pull off a feat like this?
Even if on day one he sprints through the streets of his hometown of Greenbow, he quickly settles into a steady, easy cruising pace. Running 22 kilometers is clearly doable with some training, and it generally means between 1.5 and 3 hours of running.
When you’re crossing the United States, it’s not always easy to find a place to stop every 22 kilometers. He probably had to run much longer on certain days. One thing’s for sure, he didn’t waste time at the hairdresser or the barber.
The hardest part is repeating that effort every single day of the year without getting sidelined by foot issues (blisters, etc.) or a stress fracture.
His running shoes, the Nike Cortez, were among the most advanced running shoes of the 1970s, with a zero-drop design. His clothing, on the other hand, was far less breathable and not very technical. His cap was genuinely useful though, perfect for running under the desert sun, and doing it in style.
At roughly 1,000 kilometers per pair of running shoes, he would have needed around thirty pairs to complete the whole journey.
Mentally, when you think about his table tennis exploits, where he can hit balls for hours, it’s easy to believe he can fully commit to massive athletic goals. Like running across the United States, day after day, with the mindset of an endurance athlete.
Rob Pope followed in Forrest Gump’s footsteps
Australian runner Rob Pope crossed the United States four times in 2018, just like Forrest Gump. It took him 422 days with a few breaks to complete the adventure, averaging 59 kilometers (36.7 miles) per day.
He also holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon run in a Forrest Gump costume, 2:36 in London in 2018.
Tempted to try a run across the United States yourself? Check out Forrest Gump’s crossing in the movie below.