Let’s get one thing straight: running a marathon is a massive accomplishment in and of itself. Running multiple marathons a year is quite absurd (in my non-running opinion), but nonetheless, extremely impressive. However, running an ultra marathon has to be some sort of inhuman superpower, because no human could possibly complete a race that long, right?
Not so fast. Rob Pope, a father of one, is about to run the 156-mile Marathon Des Sables in the Sahara Desert, and dressed like Forrest Gump to boot! Rob, a Guinness Book of World Records holder, previously ran 15,700 miles across the US in 2016. I’m sorry, what? I don’t think I’ve driven that much in the last year.
Anyway, Rob told StoryTrender, “I first got the idea of dressing as Forrest Gump, as he was a character who is loved by everyone. In the film you realize the amazing things he has done and the incredible strength he has – and he doesn’t complain once.”
Rob is running to raise money and awareness for WWF and Peace Direct.
“This new challenge is a continuation of me trying to raise awareness for causes I care about,” he continued. “I think Forrest Gump – and specifically the character of Forrest – is a beautiful tale of life and how we should treat one another.”
The race started on April 7 and Rob is set to return home to his daughter and fiancé on April 15.
“Forrest didn’t judge anyone, not on the color of their skin, background, intelligence or anything else. If everyone could be a bit more like Forrest, the world would be a better place,” he added. “Doing this is my attempt to make a difference. I haven’t heard from Tom yet, but he’s an absolute hero of mine, so I’d love to hear from him.”
For more information on Rob’s journey and to donate to his causes, check out Rob’s story on Going The Distance.
Source : https://www.littlethings.com/dad-ultra-marathon-charity/