soldiers take on forrest gump us run challenge

9/15/10 2:45 PMSoldiers take on Forrest Gump US run challenge

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Last update: Sat Sep 11 2010 13:14:29

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Soldiers take on Forrest Gump US run challengeSat Sep 11 2010 13:14:29

After watching the film "Forrest Gump" in 1994, RoyalMarine, Sergeant Damian Todd came up with an idea tolaunch a "Gumpathon" - a run across America to raisemoney for injured servicemen on both sides of theAtlantic Ocean.

When one of his close friends, Mark Ormrod, wasseriously injured while in Afghanistan, Todd decided toput his idea into practice, in the hope of raising moneyfor wounded soldiers.

Todd, along with now-triple amputee British ex-soldierOrmrod, will be running alongside four other men, on a3,530-mile journey.

"I came up with the idea for the Gumpathon about 14years ago after watching Forrest Gump, the movie.

Particularly the part where he ran across the United States. I thought it would be a great idea to do exactly the same typeof journey and to raise money for whatever I thought of.

"I never did anything about it, up until about two and a half years ago. One of my friends was injured quite severely in theAfghan conflict. I unshelved the idea and decided to make this beast it is and we're starting today," Todd explained.

The cross-country run is expected to take 8 weeks and will see the men do a relay route across 16 states, four time zones,each completing approximately 20 miles every day.

Ormrod will be running with the help of his prosthetic legs and will complete whatever distance he can.

"I have to run a minimum of a mile a day. The other guys have got between 16 and 23 miles each day, but I mean, if I canI'll do more than that, but that's my benchmark. I have to do a mile a day," Ormrod says.

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British and US troops are running across America in the"Gumpathon" to raise money for wounded servicemen.

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9/15/10 2:45 PMSoldiers take on Forrest Gump US run challenge

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soldiers take on forrest gump us run challenge

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