Robert Pope, always running

You’ve probably heard of Forrest Gump, the iconic character played by Tom Hanks in the 1994 film of the same name. But have you ever heard of Robert Pope—the man who brought Forrest’s legendary run to life in the real world? Marathons.com had the chance to meet this remarkable and down-to-earth Brit, who’s already dreaming of his next unforgettable adventure.

The first time you see the map of Robert Pope’s running journey, it’s hard to believe it’s real. How could one man even imagine covering such a distance on foot? It took the Liverpool native 422 days of running to achieve his goal: recreating Forrest Gump’s fictional coast-to-coast trek across the United States. Incredible. And just like in Robert Zemeckis’s Oscar-winning film, by the time Pope stopped, he had unintentionally gathered a following—other runners inspired by his endless strides. When he finally came to a halt, he turned to them, his long beard swaying in the wind, and delivered the iconic line: “I’m pretty tired, I think I’ll go home now“. Who wouldn’t be? Words fall short when you try to describe the feat: over 25,000 kilometers (about 15,500 miles), averaging 60 km (roughly 37 miles) per day, running back and forth across the United States—from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back again. His epic journey began in September 2016 and concluded in May 2018.

| “I saw the back door open. I stepped In”

How did this wild idea ever take root in Robert Pope’s mind? Born in northern England in 1978, Robert’s story is one of character—and of the women who shaped his life. There are two especially important ones: his mother, who passed away in 2002, and Nadine, his wife, who has stood by him throughout his extraordinary journey. If Rob became such a dedicated runner, it’s largely because he was chasing the legacy of his mum. “I think my love of running comes from her,” he says. “She was a hardworking, brave woman—a single mum who worked nights at the hospital. But above all, she was an athlete when she was young. She played tennis and had the potential to compete internationally as a sprinter. One day, she had a bad fall on one of those double-decker buses—just before the European junior championships, if I remember right. That injury ended her athletic dreams. But she used to tell me all the time she was a good runner,” he says with a smile. “She never pushed me into anything. She never forced me to do something I didn’t want to do.” In 1997 and 1998, Robert and his mother went to New York together for the marathon—she as a spectator, he as a runner. “It’s one of the most powerful memories I have. That city means something special to both of us. She got to see me graduate as a vet in the UK, but she never saw me start work in Liverpool. I moved to Australia ten years after she passed, so she never got to see me go either.”

Down under, something unexpected happened: Robert Pope became Australia’s national marathon champion. Ever humble, the lifelong Liverpool FC fan recalls the moment with a grin : “Winning that title was crazy. It sounds more impressive than it actually was, to be honest. It wasn’t a walk in the park, but let’s just say I got lucky. All the top Aussie runners were racing elsewhere—Berlin or Chicago that day. I saw the back door open, and I stepped in! Still, I’m really proud of my time that day—2:27!” That “back door” story might just sum up Robert’s life: doors cracked open not by privilege, but by persistence, and he seized the moment. And that’s what makes his story so inspiring. Today, many endurance feats are highly calculated, meticulously supported, and designed for media attention. But Robert’s epic run was the opposite—raw and real. He did it all by himself. No support team. No crew. Just him and the road. Real adventure, in every sense of the word. Even now, his eyes still seem touched by the wonder and the hardship of that 18-month journey.

Only Nadine was by his side for part of the run. She had to return to the UK several times—first due to financial constraints, and later because she was expecting their daughter. That little girl, in fact, accompanied her dad for the final 300 kilometers of his incredible run—still in the womb. Today, part of what drives Robert to lace up his shoes again is that very daughter—the third major woman in his life. “It’s a huge dilemma,” he admits. “The bigger the next challenge, the longer I’ll be away from her. If I’m going to take on something massive, it has to mean something massive too. My daughter’s seven now. She tells everyone at school that her dad ran across America. That I did it five times. That I’m famous!” he laughs. And when he talks about her, Robert’s eyes light up—just like a kid’s.

| Robert Pope: running with a philosophy

One of the toughest moments of Robert Pope’s epic journey came when Nadine, his wife, was forced to return home. It was a turning point that could have brought the whole adventure to an end. “Saying goodbye to Nadine in Nashville was one of the hardest parts of the run. It really hit me. She had to leave because we simply didn’t have the money to keep going. And I’d injured my quadriceps just a week before. I couldn’t even walk 30 meters at that point. But I kept moving forward and worked through my problems by running. If I had stayed put waiting to fix everything, more problems would’ve piled up,” he says with a smile. “If I’d had funding or a team, sure—it would’ve been easier. But it wouldn’t have been the same experience. It would’ve been a different adventure entirely.” That’s where Robert’s unique philosophy shines through: stay true to your dreams, and keep going until the end—no matter what. Things began to move quickly when he returned to the UK from Australia in 2016: “I came back because I had a job offer as a vet. But the reality of that job was a far cry from what I’d imagined. It was all about money—maximizing invoices, hitting revenue targets. That just wasn’t me. It was Nadine who quit her job first and gave me the nudge i needed: ‘This is your chance to run. Quit your job and go for it.’ “The biggest decisions in my life have come from the two most important women in it,” he says, smiling. “I’m naturally kind of lazy,” he admits. “But once I commit to something, as long as I’m physically able, I want to do it well. I hate doing things halfway. I need a big goal to work hard. I like seeing things through—and doing them my way. My run wasn’t perfect, far from it. I was disappointed, for example, that I didn’t raise more money. But the way it all unfolded—it was perfect in its own way.”

The idea of crossing America had been simmering in Robert’s mind for years. He was captivated early on by Running Across America, a book by Nick Baldock, with whom he’d even exchanged emails at the time. The dream started taking shape while he was living in Australia, when he read about a runner who had crossed the U.S.—but hadn’t fully recreated Forrest Gump’s fictional run. “When I realized it wasn’t a true Forrest replication, the idea really started gaining momentum. At first, I thought about starting on January 1, 2017. Then I came across an article about a British guy who was planning to do it starting on October 1, 2016. I wondered why that date? The article said it was the date Forrest left Alabama. I did some digging and found the real date was September 15. So I wrote to the guy and suggested we start together on the 15th. His response? He politely told me he wanted his own adventure and wasn’t changing his plans. After that, I booked my tickets—and in September, my wife and I flew to the U.S. All the while, I was hoping that guy wouldn’t catch up to me,” Robert laughs.

| Unforgettable memories

No one ever caught up to Robert Pope during his extraordinary run across the United States. Of all the thousands of memories he gathered along the way, one moment stands out: “It was early in the journey. We were entering Texas for the first time. I was running along a desert road that cut through a canyon surrounded by cliffs. You couldn’t see anything except the crest of a hill framed by the rock. When I reached the top, the canyon disappeared behind me, and suddenly I was facing this vast open plain—it used to be part of an ancient seabed. I just shouted out, ‘Teeeeeeeexas!’ because the view was absolutely insane. I remember thinking, ‘What am I doing? This is crazy!’ My music was on shuffle—400 albums—and wouldn’t you know it, another U2 song came on: ‘In the Name of Love’. Such an epic track! It was just perfect. (He shows his arm) I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment.”

crédit photo

crédit photo

crédit photo

Another unforgettable stretch? “I ran through Joshua Tree National Park. It’s the most spiritual place I’ve ever been. So many ghosts, so much beauty… I had The Joshua Tree album by U2 playing on repeat while running there, and through Death Valley too. And then I came across the Joshua tree—the one on the album cover. It’s leaning a lot now. Someone had placed a plaque there that read, ‘Have you found what you’re looking for?’,” he adds with a smile. And the U2 magic didn’t stop there. “I was lucky enough to catch a U2 concert in Chicago during the run. It was incredible. Seeing U2 in the city of the Chicago Bulls—that’s a dream come true for me. I’ve been a fan forever. Just… wow. ” For those wanting to dive deeper into his journey, Robert Pope—who is British—published his book Becoming Forrest: One Man’s Epic Run Across America in 2021. And if you’re wondering where to buy it, Robert, a strong supporter of independent bookstores, has a simple answer: “Order it from your local bookshop.”

The passion that drives Robert Pope is a force of its own

| A pure act of generosity

When Robert Pope reflects on the deeper meaning behind his solo run across the United States, he draws a contrast with the iconic Forrest Gump. For once, his answer differs from that of the fictional character: “In the film, when Forrest crosses the Mississippi, reporters ask him: are you running for women’s rights, for the homeless, for world peace, for the environment, for animals? And he just says, ‘I just felt like running.’ Of course, running across America, I would’ve done it for myself too—mainly to make my mum proud. But she would’ve told me that doing something like this should mean something. So I chose to support Peace Direct and WWF. Given the troubled times we’re living through—climate crisis, wars—I stayed close to causes that matter. I can’t accept a world divided. One of the most beautiful things I experienced in the U.S. was people’s kindness. It’s strange—on the one hand, you have leaders pushing for conflict, but on the other, we’re all just people, all on the same planet. I talked to Republicans. I talked to Democrats. We had great political conversations, and because they were face-to-face, there was room for tolerance. Power and money tend to corrupt that. Oh, and feel free to include this in the article: I voted ‘No’ on Brexit—like most people in Liverpool.” It’s a conviction that feels deeply sincere, and one he hopes to continue carrying forward. “You’ve seen it recently, like in Malibu with the wildfires—crises can hit anyone, anywhere. That’s why I want to run again. The only thing I want is to carry that message. ‘Why is this crazy guy doing this?’ people might ask. Is it for money? No. Is it for fame? No. It’s for these causes. And in recent years, I’ve felt powerless. I need to do something.”

| One more run? Destination Australia

Yes, you heard that right—Robert wants to run again. Or rather, he wants to pick up where he left off. To him, the journey never really ended. A newer U2 song captures his feeling perfectly: Running to Stand Still. The final lyric, sung by Bono, says it all: “She is running to stand still”. “I’m still running, I think. I don’t believe the journey is over. I don’t want it to be over—even though I know the window to do it is narrowing… If for some reason it doesn’t happen, I’ll still be at peace with what I’ve already achieved. But of course, I want more. I just want one last journey—one that my daughter will be able to see.“

“I’ve never run across Australia, and I’m really drawn to doing something similar there, once again on my own. I won’t be the fastest, that’s for sure—but that’s not the point. Next June, whether in the UK or somewhere else in Europe, I’ll head out for a one-week run—around my birthday. I won’t post anything on social media. I just want to run, listen to my body, and see how it feels. No pressure. Just 80 kilometers a day. I need to know if I still love it! Because I have to be ready for the possibility that I don’t anymore. Maybe it’s just too much now.” He adds with a laugh: “One foot’s already in the project—a family recently gave me a running cart worth €400 to replace the one that broke in the U.S. So I have to go now!”

| Rob Today

These days, Rob is back working as a veterinarian, but he hasn’t left his epic run behind completely. He co-hosts the podcast How to Be a Superhuman, available on Red Bull’s website. “The idea behind the podcast is to show that we all have greatness inside us. The people I interview come from all kinds of backgrounds—Olympic-level athletes, yes, but also ‘ordinary’ people who’ve done truly extraordinary things through sheer effort and determination. The common theme is adventure, with such a wide range of stories. It’s a perfect escape from everyday life—great for your commute or a long run. The production value is fantastic, with a lot of attention to sound design… I’m proud to be part of it.”

And we’re glad we got to meet you, Robert.

Charles-Emmanuel Pean