Post by Justine on Aug 17, 2005 14:54:39 GMT -5
News furnished by the Associated Press on www.optonline.net
PITTSBURGH - Inspired by the movie "Forrest Gump," a U.S. man is running across the United States from Newport Beach, California to Newport, Rhode Island.
The cities are nearly 3,000 miles apart. Jonathan Williams is shooting for an average of 25 miles a day on his trek, which he has dreamed of since seeing the 1994 movie's title character, played by Tom Hanks, run across the U.S.
The 26-year-old from Connecticut notes on his Web site that he's not the first to run across the country. But after seeing the movie a decade ago, he knew it was something he wanted to do, he said on his site.
By Tuesday, he was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and declared the city's hills the toughest part of his journey yet.
"Why settle for just having a job and getting married?" Williams told the Tribune-Review newspaper in Pittsburgh, when questioned about his motivation. "Why not just do something different? Why not just live?"
Williams' girlfriend, Sara Hubeny, is tracking his trip.
Friends post encouraging messages on Williams' Web site, www.runwillyrun.com. The site's name is based on his nickname and the line from the movie in which Gump's girlfriend implores him to "Run, Forrest, run!"
Williams started in May and expects to finish in Rhode Island in September.