Runners

HRH RWORDS: RICK PEARSON. PHOTOGRAPHS: ALAMY (SEAN CONWAY)JULY 2018 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK 027``````In 2016, 39-year-old LiverpudlianRob Pope just felt like running.Since then, he’s followed in thefootsteps of film character ForrestGump – he has crossed the US fourtimes, covering more than 15,000miles in the process. ‘No-one hasever done the Gump run before,and there was discussion onlineabout whether it was possible,’ saysRob. ‘I thought, “There’s no pointdiscussing it – let’s give it a go!’ Notcontent with his record-breakingrun, Rob took part in this year’sLondon Marathon – and brokeanother record, for the fastestmarathon by someone dressed as amovie character. Rob, clad in the fullGump garb, finished in 2:36:28.Quoting Forrest at the finish, Robsaid, ‘I can run like the wind blows.’He certainly can.``````When making the 220-mile journeybetween Chester and Southampton,most people would opt for the car ortrain. Not Ben Reeves. The 29-year-old ran the distance in an eort toraise £5,000 for Bowel Cancer UK.Ben’s dad, Alex, was diagnosed withstage four bowel cancer in thesummer of 2017. ‘I wanted to dosomething beyond the traditionalmarathon distance to raiseawareness of bowel cancer,’ saysBen. ‘It can be treated much moreeasily if it’s diagnosed early.Hopefully, this [run] will promptpeople to see their doctor ifsomething doesn’t seem right.’ Tocomplete the distance, Ben had toaverage 20 miles a day for 10 days ina row, running through 30 towns andcities, and crossing seven counties.## BEN REEVESRunning from Chesterto Southampton forBowel Cancer UK## ROB POPEFastest marathon asa movie character``````YOU’REAMAZING!BY THE NUMBERSSEAN CONWAY37, CHELTENHAM, RAN THE LENGTH OF BRITAIN``````WILD OF EYE and mighty of beard, Sean Conway looks exactly like the kind of person youthink of when you hear the words ‘endurance adventurer’. He hit the headlines in 2013 whenhe became the irst person to swim the length of Britain (it took him four and a half months). Hislatest book, Running Britain, details the inal element of his self-styled ‘Length of Britain’ triathlon:a run from John O’ Groats to Land’s End. (He cycled the distance in 2008, beginning his greatadventure). ‘Britain is the best island in the world,’ says Sean. ‘I deinitely underestimated howhard the running would be, but it was amazing to discover Britain’s trails on foot.’``````Miles he ran. He zigzagged rather a lot## NUMBER OF OTHER## PEOPLE TO HAVE## COMPLETED THE LENGTH## OF BRITAIN TRIATHLON£1Height in feetof the Devil’sStaircase inScotland, ‘thehardest climb ofthe route’441,500,000Weight inkilograms ofSean’s backpack 1,000## NUMBER OF RESTARTS.## ‘I TWISTED MY ANKLE## TAKING A RUNNING## SELFIE’-25:30 AM1210Amount for whichSean sold his sharein a photographybusiness before hismammoth triathlon1,850 Days to do the runAPPROXIMATE NUMBER OF STEPS TAKEN## COLDEST TEMPERATURE## (IN CELSIUS)## EXPERIENCED DURING## THE RUN. ‘IT WAS ONE OF## THE EARLY NIGHTS UP## IN THE HIGHLANDS – MY## HANDS GOT STUCK TO## THE TENT POLE IN THE## MORNING’Length (in inches) ofhis beard. It protectedhis face from jellyfishstings on the swimZEROTHE HOUR AT WHICH SEAN GOT TO BED FOLLOWING A LOCK-IN AT A PUBIN WALES. ‘I ONLY MANAGED TO GET THREE HOURS' SLEEP BEFORE I HADTO START RUNNING AGAIN,’ HE SAYS``````6HDQ&RQZD\·VQHZERRNRunning Britain …0RUWLPHU/LRQ3XEOLVKLQJLVRXWQRZHRH R