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Rob Pope has embarked on an enormous journey, running across the United States and beyond to raise both funds and awareness for causes he really believes in - Peace Direct and the World Wildlife Fund.  

He's already crossed the nation entirely FOUR TIMES, running from Mobile, Alabama all the way to Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California.  He turned around and ran even further back across some 18 states to the Marshall Point Lighthouse in Maine.  When he got there, he turned around and kept on running! He then became the first person ever to run across the United States of America three times in a year since completing his third crossing in September 2017.  He ran over 15,600 miles so far, finishing the FIFTH leg of his run in Monument Valley, where he became the first person EVER to complete the run that Forrest Gump did in the film

It's a huge distance - it’s the biggest distance anyone from the UK has ever run in a year - and Rob, the WWF and Peace Direct need your support, so please check out the charities, make a donation, and if you're in the area, cheer him on! Maybe you could even join him for a run?

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WHERE'S ROB TODAY?

 

The schedule

  • 1ST STAGE: BEAUFORT, SC - YEMASSEE - VARNVILLE - ALLANDALE - SARDIS, GA - WRENS - SPARTA - MADISON - CONYERS - MARIETTA

  • 2ND STAGE (14TH JAN TO 20TH JAN): MARIETTA, GA - DALLAS - CEDARTOWN - CENTRE, AL - ALBERTVILLE - DECATUR - DANVILLE - MUSCLE SHOALS

  • 3RD STAGE - Whoooaaahhh - SO WAY BEHIND! CAN ONLY UPDATE PAGE WHEN I'M ON A PROPER COMPUTER, NOT MY PHONE. I'VE JUST GONE THROUGH OKLAHOMA CITY - HEADING TOWARDS AMARILLO, TX!

  • 4TH STAGE - JEEEEEZ. THAT WAS A DOOZY. FOOD POISONING, A FAILED MISSION TO RETRIEVE JENNY, A SEVERE RECURRENCE OF MY GROIN INJURY...BUT... GOT TO ADRIAN, TX - TUCUMCARI, NM - SANTA ROSA - MORIARTY - ALBUQUERQUE - GRANTS - GALLUP - CHAMBERS, AZ - HOLBROOK - WINSLOW - TWIN ARROWS...

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Image: Athletics Australia

Image: Athletics Australia

About ROb

Rob Pope is an emergency veterinarian by night and runner by day.

No beginner marathon runner, Rob became the Australian Marathon Champion at the Australian Marathon Championships in 2015, won the Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 2015 and 2016, where he ran a personal best of 2:27:13.

All of that said this is - by a very long margin - Rob's biggest challenge to date , with the equivalent of almost 100 marathons between the west and east coasts of the United States!

Rob would appreciate any and all support, so please donate, send messages of support or if you're in the area, cheer him on in person.

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World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund is the world's leading conservation organisation, working in 100 countries and with close to 5 million members globally.

WWF's initiatives:

  • Forests - Conserve the world's most important forests
  • Oceans - Safeguard healthy oceans and marine livelihoods
  • Fresh water - Secure water for people and nature
  • Wildlife - Protect the world's most important species
  • Food - Double net food availability; freeze its footprint
  • Climate - Create a climate-resilient and zero-carbon world, powered by renewable energy

Peace Direct

Peace Direct believe that local people have the power to find their own solutions to conflict – and to build their own better futures.

In the world’s most fragile countries, Peace Direct seek out local peace-builders who are making a real difference – building peace from the grassroots up, preventing conflict in the places where it starts – locally - by disarming rebels, resettling refugees, healing communities, reviving economies. They work at great personal risk on crucial problems like child soldiers, women and conflict, youth and peace, political violence. They are the key to preventing conflicts and creating a lasting peace.

Peace Direct find them, fund them, and promote their work to those in the wider world who can help with finance or influence.

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Latest from social media

Waiting on the "pro" shots, but here's some of my highlights from the Amplifon Brave Briton Awards yesterday. Proud to be one of their Charity Champions and to meet and hear the stories so many inspiring people including the host, Simon Weston CBE, PC Wayne Marques, hero of the , WWII pilots Allan Scott and George Johnson, as well, of course, the overall winner, Freya Lewis, amongst others! I even got to stop a runaway horse in the room. Actual true story. Didn't ever to expect to end up here, freezing my beard off in Wyoming, but honoured to think people thought I was "brave". Daft, yes, committed, yes, but didn't know about brave. Nads said I was, so that's good enough for me. P.s. That's not my George Medal in the photo. Wayne deservedly has that one. If you'd like to find out a bit more about the fellow finalists and judges, check out: https://www.amplifon.com/web/uk/finalists-announced-2018 Simon Weston CBE: https://www.simonweston.com Wayne Marques: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/hero-city-cop-stabbed-head-15099024 #Amplifon #heroes #Brave #motivation #inspire www.goingthedistancerun.com #running #run #runner #runnersofinstagram #runchat #runultra #ultra #ultrarunner #ultrarunning #USA #transAmerica #instarunners #fitness #road #WWF #peacedirect #Nike #goingthedistance #keepgoing #Forrest #Gump #forrestgump
Happy birthday Thaivi Tonnu! Thaivi was one of my real angels on the run, one of the people who if it wasn't for them, we'd never have got as far as we did (or have, maybe more optimistically 😉). On a recent family visit from Atlanta, she brought the first shipment of my @nikerunning shoes back from the run. Some of these were shipped from Cleveland to her and there are yet more, stinking out her basement after their loyal service - but still looking GOOD! Don't ask about lone black shoe. The wounds are still too deep, even this long after Delaware. Anyway, today is a day for celebration, as it's Thaivi's birthday! 21 again today! Happy birthday...and thank you xxx #happybirthday #presents #shoes #returns #friends #angel www.goingthedistancerun.com #running #run #runner #runnersofinstagram #runchat #runultra #ultra #ultrarunner #ultrarunning #USA #transAmerica #instarunners #fitness #road #WWF #peacedirect #Nike #goingthedistance #keepgoing #Forrest #Gump #forrestgump
#ThrowbackThursday time! 2016: Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Meeting an Olympian and seeing the incredible facilities of Louisiana State University, meeting two Dutch Trans-Con cyclists and then partying(and running) hard with the pub run crew at Happy's 2017: Running into San Francisco across the Golden Gate and closing out leg 3, meeting my buddies Helen and Chris and their family...who were also there at the end of the first leg. It was also the last time I'd leave Jenny driven by the incredible Nadine Quite a big deal, both times! #batonrouge #louisiana #lsu #sanfrancisco #california #happy www.goingthedistancerun.com #running #run #runner #runnersofinstagram #runchat #runultra #ultra #ultrarunner #ultrarunning #USA #transAmerica #instarunners #fitness #road #WWF #peacedirect #Nike #goingthedistance #keepgoing #Forrest #Gump #forrestgump
If you wanna be the best...and if ya wanna beat the rest...ooo-oooh - dedication's what you need... If you wanna be a record breaker! Ladies and gentlemen, your Christmas present dilemma is SOLVED. Get yourself down to @whsmithofficial or @waterstones! Don't worry there's lots of other @guinnessworldrecords in there too to provide lots of #Christmas trivia! #Guinness #World #Records #London #Marathon #londonmarathon www.goingthedistancerun.com #running #run #runner #runnersofinstagram #runchat #runultra #ultra #ultrarunner #ultrarunning #USA #transAmerica #instarunners #fitness #road #WWF #peacedirect #Nike #goingthedistance #keepgoing #Forrest #Gump #forrestgump
Hey I know it ain't #ThrowbackThursday, but it is the @unitednations International Day of Peace, so I'm posting this...from Peace Day 2016 wearing all white, of course. Please make this the day you go and check out the work of the amazing Peace Direct on www.peacedirect.org to see how they're stopping wars, one person at a time. Check out and follow @peacedirect - they're great. Trust me. #PEACE #peaceday2018 #white www.goingthedistancerun.com #running #run #runner #runnersofinstagram #runchat #runultra #ultra #ultrarunner #ultrarunning #USA #transAmerica #instarunners #fitness #road #WWF #peacedirect #Nike #goingthedistance #keepgoing #Forrest #Gump #forrestgump
PLEASE READ ALL OF THIS! 2 years ago...pretty much to the minute...for two particular reasons...I decided to go for a little run. Now if everyone who sees this gives 10 pounds, or dollars, or euros...we could make one hell of a difference to so many communities of people and animals! Come on! Let's hit this target and save the world! Pretty much. Copy and paste the below link to donate!! https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=goingthedistancerun&pageUrl=2 For the video: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=733361193670917&id=325003944506646 #day1 #charity #target #please #prettyplease Thanks in advance xxx www.goingthedistancerun.com #running #run #runner #runnersofinstagram #runchat #runultra #ultra #ultrarunner #ultrarunning #USA #transAmerica #instarunners #fitness #road #WWF #peacedirect #Nike #goingthedistance #keepgoing #Forrest #Gump #forrestgump
 
 
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How you can help

Sure running's great for getting from A to B (or AL to CA) but in this case it's serving a much more important purpose, and that's where you come in.

The aim of Rob's run is to raise awareness and funds for these two amazing causes - the World Wildlife Fund and Peace Direct - and every little bit helps.

So what can you do to help?

1. Share

With everyone! And often!

2. Donate

Everything helps and is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 
Image: World Wildlife Fund

Image: World Wildlife Fund

Image: Peace Direct

Image: Peace Direct

3. SUPPORT TEAM

Rob will be supported by his long-suffering girlfriend Nadine (Nadla) who will fill various roles such as driver, chef, psychologist, logistics manager and chief reader of bedtime stories. Follow her blog, which is far more interesting than that running guy's blog

We also hope to have friends joining us to help out on the way. Feel free to contact us if you fancy getting involved!

We would love any help from local people along the way including:

  • Physiotherapists/Sports therapists
  • Doctors, dentists, nurses
  • RV Park, gas station, convenience store, restauarant owners
  • Local media/marketing representatives
  • Friendly people with a spare bed/a big bowl of chilli that needs eating/somewhere to park

...and of course: RUNNERS!

We look forward to meeting you!

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Sponsors

Please support the wonderful sponsors of Rob's run, who are contributing to some terrific causes

If you'd like to get involved in company sponsorship , please get in touch via the contact page