Becoming Forrest: One Man’s Epic Run Across America

Ultra-athlete Pope debuts with a stirring chronicle of his more than 15,000 mile run across the United States to recreate Tom Hanks’s famous cross-country trek in Forrest Gump. An English veterinarian, marathon runner, and longtime Gump enthusiast, Pope dedicated his run to raising money for charities including the World Wide Fund for Nature and Peace Direct. Early chapters detail his start in Alabama in 2016—decked out in “Gump paraphernalia,” including a “pristine new pair of white Nike Cortez”—and then follow Pope day by day, state by state. Along the way, he meticulously catalogues his experiences, dutifully posting his mileage, new roadkill spottings (in Louisiana: “one otter”), and his latest gnarly blisters. What quickly becomes striking—on top of the extreme distance of his runs, often “forty miles every day without rest”—is Pope’s innate curiosity and fascination with the world around him. While running near the Mexican border, for example, he reflects upon George Harrison’s quote that “all things must pass,” and after President Trump’s declaration that the U.S. would be leaving the Paris Agreement regarding climate change, Pope ponders the shifting tides of American life and culture during a stop in Indiana. This is sure to inspire distance runners as well as those interested in a hearty slice of Americana. (Feb.)