Pat Farmer, 48, from Australia gained the nickname “Forrest Gump” after he decided to run 13,000 miles from Santa’s workshop to where the penguins live.
Starting this March, Farmer will travel by foot through Canada, the United States, Mexico and 10 South American countries. Once he reaches Argentina, he will be airlifted to the final South Pole leg. According to AFP, Farmer will use 40 pairs of shoes and 300 socks over the course of the 11-month run. A film crew plans to follow Farmer, and if completed, they’ll have documented the longest run in the world!
Why would anyone do something so crazy? Farmer hopes to raise $100 million for the Red Cross to support clean water and sanitation facilities in the developing world. Once he finishes, Farmer will return to the US to visit the United Nations to speak about his journey and the cause that inspired him.
Photo by Tomas Famo via Flickr.