Walking or running across the United States has long been a challenge, especially to bring publicity to some social cause. The shortest route from coast to coast, from San Diego, CA, to Jacksonville, FL, (See map) is approximately 3,782 kilometres (2,350 mi) long. With an average human walking speed of 5 km/h, and allowing 12 hours per day of walking, the journey would take at least two months. Press coverage of attempts often refer to the portrayal of the feat in the movie Forrest Gump.
Since 1996, non-profit group Crossroads Pro-Life has been sponsoring walks across the United States each summer to raise awareness for the pro-life movement. The age group that participates are generally college students; however, older individuals have walked as well. As of 2011, there are four walks that take place each summer from Seattle, WA; San Francisco, CA; San Jose, CA; and Los Angeles, CA. Starting around the end of May, each of the four walks meet at the end of the summer in Washington, DC. Crossroads also sponsors a walk across Canada and a walk around Ireland.[1]
Mark Baumer was 26 years old when he walked from Tybee Island, GA to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, CA, going through GA, AL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ, and CA. He left on May 10, 2010 and finished eighty-one days later on July 29, 2010.[2]
Mycle Brandy, 59 years old and a 4 time stroke survivor from San Clemente, CA, walked from Newport Beach, CA to Washington DC leaving on 14 February 2010, going through CA, AZ, NM, TX, OK, MO, IL, KY, IN, OH, WV, MD, VA, DC. He walked to raise awareness of the early warning signs of stroke and warn against a sedentary lifestyle visiting stroke units at local hospitals and talking with stroke survivors. He delivered his message through television, radio, newspapers and personal appearances and has raised more than $10,000 for the American Heart Association. During Mycle Brandy's Walk Across America he was able to deliver his message of hope to more than 50 million people through various media sources. On July 17 Mycle Brandy began a second segment of his Walk Across America
Joe Casamassima, a musician and former teacher, at age 27 walked from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania to San Francisco, California, crossing 10 states in three months (June 17, 2007–September 16, 2007), to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis. Casamassima is currently 29 and a graduate student at Harvard University.[3]
In January 2010, Daniel Chapin a youth advocate and activist from Orange County, California walked from California to Tennessee and onto Washington D.C. after a brief month of rest in Nashville, Tennessee. The walk was organized to promote community solidarity and to raise awareness for the importance of unified faith based youth programs throughout the nation. Chapin who also served as a youth pastor and marriage counselor in California, was motivated by his interactions with young people in his then current hometown, Garden Grove, Calif saying,"Young people are looking for a sense and longing and community," he said. "They're not finding it, especially in churches. They're finding division and doctrinal differences." Chapin's journey visited the heartland of America and along the route he was hosted at a variety of venues who share similar goals of inter-community solidarity and exchange, such as the Roadrunner Hostel in Tucson, Arizona and All the King's Horses Children's Ranch in Benson, Arizona speaking at churches, city halls and the like. Chapin performed the walk without a cell phone or support vehicles. Instead, he relied on teams of individuals and those encountered along the way to aide in travel arrangements, host homes, etc. Chapin is currently working on a book to be released in the summer of 2011 on the journey.[4][5][6]
In March of 2011, 32-year-old Chicago attorney Geo. Tyler Coulson left corporate law to walk across the United State with his dog, Mabel. Coulson and Mabel left Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on March 11, 2011, and finished in San Diego, California, on November 8, 2011. Although Coulson began his hike on the American Discovery Trail, weather and time constraints forced him to adopt a shorter route. Along the way, Coulson and Mabel encountered numerous thunderstorms, tornados, and a record heat wave across Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. Coulson had temporary car support in western Nebraska, and again from Koosharem, Utah, to Temecula, California. Coulson blogged intermittently about his trip at www.tylercoulson.com.[7]
Helga Estby, a 36-year-old from Spokane, Washington, and her 18-year-old daughter Clara walked from Spokane to New York City in 1896, setting off on May 5, 1896, passing through 14 states along the way, and arriving at the latter on Christmas Eve. She did so in response to a $10,000 challenge from a sponsor given to any woman who would walk across the United States. She brought with her a compass, red-pepper spray, a revolver, and a curling iron. She wanted the money in order to save her family's 160-acre (0.65 km2) farm. She did not receive it.[8][9][10]
Rory Fanning, age 34, of Chicago, IL walked from Virginia Beach, VA to San Diego, CA in 2008-2009 in honor of Pat Tillman. Fanning served in the 2nd Ranger Battalion with Tillman. The idea was to raise the $3.6 million Tillman gave up when he left the NFL to join the military. The money was donated to the Pat Tillman Foundation. He spent 8 months, walking across the U.S., speaking to schools, prisons, and corporations. He stopped 42 steps, symbolic of Tillman's jersey number from the Pacific Ocean, technically, "not walking across the country for Pat," as he said in his final blog entry. He walked 50 miles (80 km) in 23 hours while in New Mexico.[11]
Louis Michael Figueroa, age 43, of Tucson, AZ is arguably the most prolific transcontinental journeyman. In 1982, at the age of 16, Figueroa became the fastest and youngest person to run across the United States covering the route from New Brunswick, NJ to San Francisco in 60 days to fulfill a promise to a friend who was dying of bone cancer.
In 1996–1997 he walked from Bangor, ME to San Diego, CA for local AIDS networks in memory of his brother Jimmy, who died of the disease. The walk was plagued by delays due to Figueroa's battle with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.
In 2005, he began a walk around the United States for victims of child abuse. Figueroa walked for six months and covered 6,437 kilometres (4,000 mi) of the 12,070 kilometres (7,500 mi).[12]
On June 4, 2010 Figueroa left from where he previously stopped, 6.43 kilometres (4.00 mi) west of Somerset, PA and is currently finishing his trek around the United States. He plans to arrive in Tucson sometime in late December.[13][14][15]
From January, 1979 to September, 1980, former teacher Stephan Foust, age 30, of South Bend, IN walked 3607 miles from Nags Head, NC to Point Reyes, CA. His journey took him through the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. While on the road, Foust searched for stories and hosted a live remote weekly radio show via telephone on WSBT-AM in South Bend. Following a lengthy career in television news, video production, and mass communication consultation, Foust is now the Director of the Center for Innovation in Media at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
Steve Fugate of Florida was inspired to walk across the United States following the 1999 suicide of his son, Stevie. Since then, he has walked about 26,000 miles (42,000 km) through the 48 contiguous United States, passed through more than 1,800 communities and worn out 33 pairs of shoes while carrying a large sign that states, "LOVE LIFE."[16]
A.J. Goodrich, a 27-year-old documentary filmmaker, walked from Venice Beach, CA to New York City, with a small crew, including Mark Metivier, John Conway, Satinder Kaur, Leonora Anzaldua Burke, Michael Cox, Matthew Chester and Andres Pacheco. They started on February 1, 2011 and ended on August 20, 2011, taking 201 days (including rest days). They covered approximately 3,800 miles (6,100 km), going south through New Orleans and the Bible Belt and up the East Coast. They walked in shifts, living and working out of an RV that would drive ahead while they walked. Goodrich and Metivier were the only ones of the crew to complete the whole journey, from start to finish. The walk was part of a documentary A.J. was making to finish his graduate degree in film production at the University of Southern California. The team's goal was to document people's feelings on same-sex marriage in the United States, and to profile queer issues and identity in America. The film is called "The Road Less Travelled By" and is currently in post-production.[17][18][19]
Matt Green, a 30-year-old civil engineer from New York City, NY, walked from Rockaway Beach, NY to Rockaway Beach, OR. He began on March 27, 2010 and ended on August 25, 2010, taking 152 days (including some rest days), using walking directions provided by Google Maps. He documented his journey as he walked by taking pictures with his Motorola Droid and posting them to his blog with comments. He pushed his belongings in a converted Runabout stroller. Each day, if in a place where he didn't know anyone, he would knock on someone's door and ask to pitch his tent on their property. Many people invited Matt into their homes and in doing so, he was able to share his story with many people and also learn about the lives of average Americans all across the country. One of Matt's favorite activities during his journey was documenting strange mailboxes he encountered along his walk.[20][21][22][23]
Matt Gregory, a 27 year old, hiked 5,000 miles (8,000 km) from Bellingham, Washington to Key West, Florida. Matt left Bellingham on September, 1st, 2006 and finished November, 8th, 2007. He walked down the west coast past L.A. and turned east to Key West. Matt raised over $11,000 for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the memory of his mother that passed from cancer. Matt kept a journal on his website, MyWalkingAdventure.com.[24][25][26]
Doris Haddock, a.k.a. "Granny D", an 89-year-old activist, retired secretary and shoe factory worker, walked from Pasadena, California, setting off on January 1, 1999 to Washington D.C., a distance of 3,055 miles (4,917 km). She walked for six days per week, with a mean speed of 10 miles per day, in an effort to call people's attention to campaign finance reform, taking 400 days to complete her walk.[27][28]
Rick Hammersley, aged 60, of Green Cove Springs, FL walked from California to Coney Island from April 1, 2008 to November 2, 2008, a total elapsed time of 215 days, 6 hours, and 24 minutes. He covered a distance of 3,206.75 miles (5,160.76 km), walking for 176.75 days (1070 hours) with a mean speed of 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h), raising $9,819.11 for charity.[29][30]
Steven Hawke left Malibu, California on May 15, 2009 to introduce the idea and design for a new history museum to Americans and the world. The journey included Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, Topeka, St. Louis, Frankfort, Charleston, Richmond and on to Washington, D.C. As planned, Steven arrived in Washington on September 10, 2009. Steven reminded those who spoke with him that walking was the first method of transportation used by our ancestors, to travel from coast to coast. His journey across America covered 3860 miles. Travel companions included D. Anson Brody and Natt Holman.[31]
Thomas Hooker, age 42, of Seattle, WA started his walk on September 11, 2002, the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Beginning in the corner of the United States in Cape Flattery, WA he walked to Neah Bay, WA then onto Seattle, WA. Hooker then flew to San Diego, CA and walked across America via a southern route, California-Arizona-New Mexico-Texas-Louisiana-Mississippi-Alabama-Georgia-Florida finishing the hike / walk in Jacksonville, FL on February 27, 2003.[32]
Aaron Huey, age 25, left Encinitas, California on January 22, 2002 and arrived in New York City 3,349 miles and 154 days later. His only travel companion was his dog Cosmo. He did not carry a cell phone and had no support team.[33] He covers the why and how in his 2010 Annenberg Foundation lecture: [8] Huey's walk journals can be read here: [9]
Greg Insco, at age 26 from Colerain Township in Cincinnati, Ohio left home on April 1, 2009 to walk over 2200 miles across America to live his dream and to honor charities that include The Megan Gore Scholarship Fund and the The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.[34] Greg Insco completed his walk to Los Angeles, CA on June 15, 2009.[35]
Peter Jenkins, a photojournalist, walked from Alfred, New York, setting off in October 1973, to Florence, Oregon, which he reached in January 1979. He detailed his account in his book, A Walk Across America.[36]
Ron Kessler, 39, walked 3,600 miles (5,800 km) without a support vehicle from Cape Henlopen, DE to Point Reyes Seashore, CA in 2008 between March 1 and October 11. He loosely followed the American Discovery Trail from Delaware through Missouri, then carved his own route from Kansas westward. He walked to raise money for breast cancer research and encourage regular mammograms, and was inspired by a close friend who succumbed to the disease just months after the walk. Ron wishes to thank the many, many people who helped him along the way. His journal can be found at [10]
Polly Letofsky, 37, walked around the world and as a natural portion of that walked across the United States. She started in Vail, Colorado, and headed west through Arizona, California, then walked around the world entering US shores again in NY. NJ, PA, Upstate NY, Ontario, CA, MI, WI, MN, IA, MO, KS, CO. Her walk around the world was the culmination of a childhood dream, but moreover was an advocacy campaign for breast cancer around the world. In each country the funds raised stayed in that country. Her book, 3mph: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World has become a best seller.
Steffen Hem Lian, 25 years old from Norway, walked alone from San Diego, CA to Savannah, GA. He left on August 10, 2007 and arrived January 1, 2008. He did this to raise money and awareness for kids with cancer. The trip was more than 2,400 miles (3,900 km) long, and went through 8 states.[37][38]
On September 16, 2007, George Martin, an ex-New York Giants Football Player, began walking from New York City's George Washington Bridge to San Diego in order to raise money for medical care for the first responders to the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attack on the United States.[39]
Matt Mattingly, age 59 of Sonora, California, walked 3,507 miles (5,644 km) in 117 days, from near the Statue of Liberty in New York City to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Mattingly finished his journey on Sept 7, 1990, and wrote about his experiences in his book The Long Walk Home.[40]
Margie McCauley, a 67-year-old from Landers, California, walked from Landers to the home of her sister in New Britain, Connecticut in 1996.[41][42]
Jack Morris, a 40-year-old from Seattle, Washington, walked 3,333 miles (5,364 km) from Jacksonville, Florida back to Seattle over 133 days. His trip began on May 1, 2010 and ended on September 10, 2010. The walk began as a quest for individual accomplishment, with Jack soon realizing that the walk was much bigger than one man. Soon thereafter, the walk soon developed into a quest to raise money for Seattle Children's Hospital. Jack documented his walk daily on his blog at My Long Walk Home. When he finished walking, Jack hadn't reached the fundraising goal he had hoped to achieve. To help motivate donations, 2 weeks later Jack hopped on a bicycle and rode 3700 miles back towards Jacksonville over the next 6 weeks.[43][44][45][46][47]
Dr. Barbara Moore (1903–1977),[48] a Russian-born health enthusiast, walked 3,387 miles from San Francisco to New York City in 46 days in 1960.[49]
Jesper Olsen, Denmark, ran coast to coast in the summer of 2005. Route: Los Angeles-Seattle-Calgary-Chicago-New York.[50] This was a part of an around the world run from UK-Russia-Australia-USA-UK.
Marcia and Ken Powers, a husband and wife from Pleasanton, CA, walked along the American Discovery Trail in 2005, a distance of 4,900 miles (7,900 km) that crossed 13 states, setting off from Cape Henlopen on 2005-02-27 and finishing in Point Reyes, CA in October of the same year. At their fastest, they covered 21.5 miles per day. Their mean speed was 34.4 kilometers a day.[51][52]
At the age of 71, Al Slusser is the oldest recorded man to walk across America. He stepped out of the Pacific Ocean at San Diego, California on October 1, 2009. He took a 3 month break upon arrival to Arizona from November 1, 2009 to February 6, 2010 due to a family illness. On August 13, 2010 Al walked into the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean at Annapolis, MD. His walk lasted 220 days and he walked 3,188 miles. Al also plans on walking from the bottom of Florida to the tip of Maine and then walking along the West coast as well. He hopes to accomplish all of his walks by the age of 73. Keep tuned to his website, Great America Walk for updates. The purpose of Al's walks is to raise awareness for disabled senior citizens. Al also lives by the quote, "Don't let your dreams die before you do."[53]
Jonathon Stalls, a 28-year-old resident of Denver, CO started walking on March 1, 2010 from Lewes, Delaware and finished w/family and supporters on November 13, 2010 in San Francisco, CA. Jonathon walked 3,030 miles (4,880 km) across 14 states while destroying 7 pairs of shoes in 8 months. He was joined by his dog, Kanoa for the first 5 months. As he moved West, Stalls raised awareness for leading global micro-finance organization Kiva Micro-funds. Through collective efforts of Stalls and supporters 'Kiva Walk' generated over $415,000 in loans to entrepreneurs across the globe.[54]
Bjorn Suneson, a 59-year-old Swedish marathon runner and economics journalist, began his run across the United States on June 11, 2007 in Florence, Oregon and finished in Virginia Beach, Virginia September 14, 2007. Amazingly enough, heading in opposite directions, with no prior knowledge of the existence of the other (according to his website) he and Joseph Casamassima crossed paths in Gibbon, Nebraska—about the half way point for both men.[55]
Bjorn Suneson, this time aged 62, ran across the US again, starting April 10, 2010 at Westport, Washington and finishing July 17 at Tybee Island, Georgia.[56]
Rosie Swale-Pope, UK, has walked and run from Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska to Newfoundland, Canada over Edmonton-Chicago-New York City. This was a part of an around the world run UK-Russia-USA-UK.[57][58]
Tamar and Jakob Teitelbaum, a married couple from Montreal, QC, hiked from Cape Henlopen, DE to Point Reyes, CA in 2006, covering 4,400 miles (7,100 km) in 205 days. They walked from April 25 to November 17, taking off one day in Grand Junction, CO to bury water in the desert. They followed the American Discovery Trail, pioneering the Teitelbaum Cutoff from Cripple Creek, CO to Buena Vista, CO. Their journal, documenting an abundance of raccoons, brambles, wrong turns, and incredible generosity and kindness, can be found here: [11]
Steve Vaught, a 40-year-old from Valley Center, CA, walked from Oceanside, California to New York City, a distance of 2,800 miles (4,500 km), setting off on 2005-04-10 and arriving on 2006-05-09. He lost 110 pounds in weight in the process.[59][60][61]
Bob Wieland is a Vietnam War veteran who lost his legs to a mortar mine in 1969. He "ran" across America on his hands, taking three years, eight months, and six days to travel from coast to coast and raise money for Vietnam war veterans.[62]
The group of three (all from Rochester, USA) walked together from the Atlantic to the Pacific while shooting a documentary called Walk the Dream..[63] Their journey began on Long Island on April 21, 2010 and ended in Santa Monica on October 21, 2010. The trio's route brought them through NY, NJ, PA, OH, IN, IL, MO, KS, CO, UT, NV, and CA. A support vehicle accompanied the three over the course of the 6 months.
John walked unsupported from Cape Henlopen, Delaware to Pt. Reyes National Seashore, California, loosely following the American Discovery Trail for approximately 3,500 miles, from March 31, through November 26, 2008. Blogs, photos and videos available at http://newworldexplorations.com/Home_Page.html. "Two Views: Walking Across America", John and Lory Wingate, ISBN 978-1-4507-5660-0, 2011. It is a compilation of both of journals and photographs (converted to color pencil drawings). DE, MD, DC, WV, OH, IN, IL, MO, KS, CO, UT, NV, CA.
Lory walked unsupported from Cape Henlopen, Delaware to Pt. Reyes National Seashore, California, loosely following the American Discovery Trail for approximately 3,500 miles, from March 31, through November 26, 2008. Blogs, photos and videos available at http://newworldexplorations.com/Home_Page.html."Two Views: Walking Across America", John and Lory Wingate, ISBN 978-1-4507-5660-0, 2011. It is a compilation of both of journals and photographs (converted to color pencil drawings). "BETWEEN the Cities: Essays from a Walk through America", Lory Wingate, ISBN 978-0-615-57424-0, 2011. DE, MD, DC, WV, OH, IN, IL, MO, KS, CO, UT, NV, CA.
Leo Schreven as a teenager made 100 goals to finish by the time he became 50. Walking across America was the last of those 100 goals he had left to accomplish. On the 9th of February on Jacksonville Beach in Florida Leo Schreven began his walk that would last 100 day and would end on his 50th birthday. Each day he made a video with a short talk and then it would show some interesting things he would see during the day making it probably the most documented walk across America. He finished in San Diego California on his birthday, 100 days after he began. You can see more about Leo Schreven's Walk Across America at [12]. You can see his route and his daily videos.
In the Summer of 2007, Mark Allison ran 874 miles (1,407 km) from John O'Groats to Lands End in 37 days raising £34,108 for St Benedict's Hospice (Charity No. 1019410) in the UK. This Hospice cared for his mother during her final days battling lung cancer. Continuing to repay the debt of gratitude to the Hospice in May - August 2011 he is running from California to New York in 100 days—a distance of approx. 3100 miles which will see him run an average daily mileage of 31 miles.
Mark's blog can be read here: [13]
From her book, "One step at a time : my 18-month walk across America," at age 52, Hanuse set out to realize a childhood dream: to walk from the Golden Gate bridge to the Statue of Liberty. The family dog, Buck, went the distance with her; husband Alex provided moral and logistical support for the adventure. This is Hanuse's affecting if somewhat truncated re-creation (10 of the 13 chapters are set west of the Mississippi). There were some close calls: back home Alex had a life-threatening bout with an ulcer; the author's knees nearly gave out in Death Valley and she contracted pneumonia in Colorado; Buck was swept downstream by floodwaters in Utah. Hanuse, a teacher, paused during the journey to speak to school and church groups; she seems to have enjoyed a warm rapport with the children she met.
In 1984, peace activist Dale James Outhouse walked some 4,500 miles (7,200 km) from Point Conception, CA, to New York City through the Deep South. He was one of the founders of Walk of the People - A Pilgrimage for Life, a walk that raised awareness for improving U.S.-Soviet Union relations, and the only participant to cover the entire distance in the United States. His story is in a book called "Walking through the Wall" by Kevin J. Shay.[64] Dale's blog on some reflections on his walk can be read here: [http://walkofthepeople.blogspot.com
From June 18 through Dec. 18, 2011, Michael Tittinger walked across the United States (under the name Mikey Walks) to raise money for the Onny and Oboe Scholarship Fund, which he founded with wife Brooke Tittinger, helping heart transplant patients and their families get a second chance to pursue their dreams. Tittinger left Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and followed Route 50 (symbolic because one organ donor can change 50 lives) to Cincinnati, OH, before making his way northeast to his native Philadelphia, and then finishing in Ocean City, NJ. Tittinger chronicles his adventures -- profiling the Americans he meets along the way -- as well as his fundraising on his website mikeywalks.com.
Michael's blog can be read here: [14]
Husband and wife team Nick and Lucy Russell started walking from the coast of Georgia in October 2011. Their goal is to reach the West coast and raise money for poor people in Tajikistan.[65]
Peter Leaders has been walking across the country since October 2011 starting from Safety Harbor, FL.[66]
Anthony Lambing, from Imperial, MO, began his walk across America on Monday, August 8, 2011. He is walking from coast to coast to achieve a personal goal. He began at the coast in South Carolina and expects to finish his walk in the San Diego, CA area in late January/early February 2012. http://anthonywalksamerica.com/
"Walking: Searching for America and Its 'Real' People." The Chapel Hill Newspaper. Feb. 27, 1979 "Transcontinental Hike Opens Man's Senses to World." The Paragould Daily Press. June 21, 1979 "Teacher Learns A Lot on Walk Across US." The Sacramento Bee. Aug. 28, 1980 "Trans-continental Walker Arrives Here." The Point Reyes Light. Sept. 11, 1980