A vet is following in the footsteps of his favourite film character and running from America’s east to west coast three times.

Liverpudlian Robert Pope, who is a frequent visitor to the Isle of Sheppey and often trains there, is channelling Forrest Gump to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund and Peace Direct, a charity supporting local action against conflicts.

The 38-year-old set off from Alabama in September and does not intend to stop until he reaches the Pacific Ocean pier in Santa Monica, California. Mr Pope is being aided in his quest by his girlfriend of six years Nadine Strawbridge, an Islander up until the age of 15 and with family still living in Sheerness and Eastchurch, who is driving a camper van behind him and looking after his running needs.

Mr Pope said: “I am basically following the route Forrest Gump would have taken in the film.

“I’ve been planning on a trans-USA run for nine years and watching the film a few years back I realised this was the best way to do it.

“Forrest was inclusive in all he did. He didn’t recognise race or creed and just got on with helping people and people responded to that.

“It’s such a popular film that people will identify with the run and hopefully with the causes.”

As of Monday lunchtime, Mr Pope had completed 1,520 miles, with 600 left to Santa Monica – where, like Tom Hanks’s character Forrest, he hopes to turn around and run to the east coast and possibly turn around again.

It is estimated Forrest covered 15,248 miles in the 1994 film, so Mr Pope is aiming for that.

He said: “The first week of December is my planned completion date for the first leg of my mission.

“If we’re able to do the second leg, then May would be my hopeful completion time, and then March, or before, in 2018 for the full 15,248-mile route that Forrest is supposed to have run.

“The aim is to make as much money and raise as much awareness for the charities as I can, but it will depend on finding a sponsor to fund subsequent legs.” Mr Pope, who quit work to prepare for the mission, said his mother has been his inspiration.

“My mum, who is not around anymore unfortunately, said to make sure I made a difference and this is me doing that,” he said.

“I have always run and have done a good few marathons. I won the Liverpool one the last two years.

“Because Nadine’s family live on the Isle of Sheppey, I have trained there. I’ve run Eastchurch to Sittingbourne and Rainham as well as to Sheerness a few times with a loop to Warden and Leysdown too.

“She’s supporting me here and is being an absolute superstar. I couldn’t have done it without her.”

To find out more about Mr Pope’s campaign or to follow his journey, visit www.goingthedistancerun.com or search runroblarun on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.