This is a list of people who have walked across the United States from the east coast to the west coast or vice versa. Walking or running across the United States has long been pursued as a way to bring publicity to social causes.
Ed Fallon, Miriam Kashia, Mackenzie McDonald Wilkins, Jeffrey Czerwiec, Steve Martin
These were the five participants in the Great March for Climate Action who completed every step of the 3,100 mile walk from Los Angeles, CA to Washington, DC between March 1 and November 1, 2014. Halfway through the March, Steve Martin left the main body of marchers to walk solo to New York, arriving there on September 21 as an emissary from the Great March for Climate Action to the People's Climate March.
Mark Baumer
Mark Baumer walked across the USA in 81 days. He was killed in 2017 while attempting a second walk barefoot.
Philip Cihiwsky
Phil Cihiwsky, 59, from Loveland, Colorado walked from San Diego, California to York Harbor, Maine starting his walk on March 4 and completing it on October 4, 2013. He walked 3300 miles, crossing 15 states in 7 months while raising awareness about food insecurity issues among older adults for Meals On Wheels and encouraging the people he met along the way to support home delivered meal programs in their own communities.
Helga and Clara Estby
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 (65Â ha) farm. She did not receive it.
Louis Michael Figueroa
In 1982, Louis Michael Figueroa, age 16, became the fastest and youngest person (according to some sources) 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 1996â€"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 miles (10,359Â km) of the 12,070 miles (19,420Â km).
On June 4, 2010 Figueroa left from where he previously stopped, 6.43 miles (10.35Â km) west of Somerset, PA and arrived in Tucson on January 15, 2011.
Aaron Huey
Aaron Huey, age 26, left Encinitas, California on January 22, 2002 and arrived in New York City 3,349 miles and 154 days later on June 25. His only travel companion was his dog Cosmo. He did not carry a cell phone and had no support team. Huey covered the why and how in his 2010 Annenberg Foundation lecture, and Huey also wrote journals of his travels along the way.
Pete Kostelnick
In October 2016, Pete Kostelnick, age 29, set the world record for fastest run across America; he ran the 3,067 miles from San Francisco’s City Hall to New York’s City Hall in 42 days, 6 hours, 30 minutes.
Polly Letofsky
Polly Letofsky, 37, walked around the world, including the United States. She started in Vail, Colorado in 1999, 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. She returned home on July 30, 2004.
Barbara Moore
Barbara Moore (1903â€"1977), a Russian-born health enthusiast, walked 3,387 miles from San Francisco to New York City in 85 days in 1960, departing on April 13 and arriving on July 6.
Richard H. Noble
From March 12, 2011 through June 9, 2012, Richard Noble, a gay rights activist, walked with a rainbow flag from San Francisco to Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
James Harry Pierce
James Harry Pierce, a 46-year-old writer, costumer, and street performer, began his walk across the United States on May 30, 2011 just south of Seattle, Washington, passed through Crestview, Florida on December 24, 2011, and continued on to Key West, Florida, where he settled on February 7, 2012 and now performs nightly on Duval Street dressed as Darth Vader playing the banjo.
Peace Pilgrim
Peace Pilgrim, née Mildred Lisette Norman (July 18, 1908 â€" July 7, 1981), was an American pacifist, vegetarian, and peace activist. Starting on January 1, 1953, she walked across the United States for 28 years until her death in 1981. She had no organizational backing, carried no money, and would not even ask for food or shelter. When she began her pilgrimage she had taken a vow to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food." At the time of her death, she was crossing the United States for the seventh time.
Granny D
Granny D (née Doris Haddock, January 24, 1910 â€" March 9, 2010) achieved international fame in February 2000 when, at age 90, she completed her walk across the U.S. to support campaign finance reform. A resident of Dublin, New Hampshire, Granny D started the walk January 1, 1999, shortly before her 89th birthday in Pasadena, California amid the Rose Parade festivities. She completed it on Leap Day of the following year, more than 400 days later, having traversed over 3200 miles across nine states (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Maryland). She chronicled her expedition and reasons for undertaking it in a autobiography entitled "You're Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell" published in 2003. The following year, at age 94, she as ran as Democratic candidate against Judd Gregg in the New Hampshire senate race, but was soundly defeated. She died shortly after turning 100, on March 9, 2010.
Chad Sigmon
Chad Sigmon was 38 years old when he ran across America starting April 1, 2013 from Jacksonville, FL and ending August 1 in San Diego, California. He ran to help end mental health stigma. He averaged around 22 miles a day for a total of 2,650 miles.
Katie Visco
From March 29 through December 29, 2009, Pave Your Lane's founder, Katie Visco, ran across America, from Boston to San Diego to publicize this campaign. At age 24, Visco became the second youngest and 13th woman overall to run from coast to coast.
Bob Wieland
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.
Zachary Bonner
Zachary Bonner is a homeless youth advocate. He started a non profit when he was 6 years old called the Little Red Wagon Foundation. At age 8 after seeing a documentary on a woman named Peace Pilgrim he decided to walk from his home in Tampa, Florida to the state Capitol Tallahassee. The following year at age 9 he continued his walk to Atlanta, Georgia and that summer at age 11 he walked from Atlanta to Washington DC. He vowed to become the youngest to walk Coast to Coast and at age 12 completed that mission by walking from Jacksonville Beach to the Santa Monica Pier. During his walks he used media attention to raise awareness to homeless youth and highlighted many programs working to help these kids. The journey took Zach 7 months to complete.
Joe "Tiger" Patrick II
Joe "Tiger" Patrick II is a Peace Dale, Rhode Island Army veteran. After volunteering at Ground Zero for 3 weeks he decided he wanted to do something to bring awareness to the men and women who died as a result of the events during the 9/11 attacks, and those who have died while serving in the military for the United States of America. He committed to walking for the cause. He completed a memorial walk in 2011 and on his second walk in 2013 he walked approximately 3,000 miles across the United States beginning in April 2013 in the City of Coronado, California and ending in Washington D.C. in October 2013. During this walk he carried a memorial panel that he created on canvas, which displayed the faces of over 6600 color images of U.S. service members, and weighed over 50 pounds. He also carried an American flag and a bat used by Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Walter O. McGill III
Walter McGill, also known as Pastor "Chick" McGill, the "Freedom Walker" and the "Cross Country Flagman," a 69-year-old pastor of the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church and Vietnam War era veteran, began to walk across the United States on April 23, 2014 at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. He completed his journey on April 29, 2015 at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California after traveling a route of over 3,200 miles, and carrying the United States flag by hand the entire way, the first such documented case. On July 12, 2015 he was honored at Dodger Stadium for the completion of the walk prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers.
McGill's websites promoting the walk, walkingcoast2coast and walkthewalknow.com, indicate an extensive list of causes for which he made the journey, including: civil liberties, human rights, national integrity, the restoration of individual and corporate self-respect, support for traditional family values, liberty of conscience for all citizens, the defense of constitutional principles, the review and appreciation of American heritage, care for the poor and homeless, the promotion of natural health practices, employment of the Golden Rule in daily living, and a spiritual awakening for the healing of the country. Along the way he saluted passing motorists and pedestrians, received certificates of appreciation at the Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley, and left non-sectarian 40-day prayer guides for city and county officials. He was provided with a police escort part of the way along his walk in Tennessee and Georgia, and was awarded a "Day of Recognition" in his home state of Tennessee by Governor Bill Haslam.
During the portion of the journey through Prescott, Arizona he dedicated ten miles of his walk to Kayla Mueller, who was captured by ISIS and killed earlier in 2015.
In his closing statements, McGill said, "To be the first veteran to carry Old Glory from sea to shining sea has been a great aspiration of mine, and I'm praying this flag will be enshrined at the Smithsonian Institute [sic]."
Arthur Hitchcock
Arthur Hitchcock is a documentary/editorial photographer who, at age 19, walked from Long Beach, California to Augusta, Maine between May 11 and November 2, 2011. He walked approximately 4,100 miles (6,598Â km), crossing through 17 states in 175 days. Hitchcock walked to raise funds for breast cancer research and aid to assist families dealing with the cost of hospital bills and treatments. He walked to honor his deceased parents, Janet and Mike Hitchcock. His mother died from ductal carcinoma a few months before the trip. The majority of his route included major highways (it's illegal to walk on most major highways). He was led by a support vehicle.
John Ball
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel John Ball, aka “The Walking Aggie,†walked coast-to-coast across America from March 1, 2015 to August 17, 2015. Beginning at Scripps Park in La Jolla, California and ending at Daytona Beach, Florida, Ball, age 58, walked 2,686 miles, crossing 8 states in 170 days. His unassisted, uninterrupted walk raised over $27,000 to help establish an Endowed Aggie Ring Scholarship at his alma mater, Texas A&M University.
Anthony Roddy
Anthony "Silverback" Roddy is a retired USDA Forest Service worker who, at age 56, walked from Wells Beach, Maine, to Imperial Beach, California, between April 19 and December 15, 2015. A US Army veteran of the war in Iraq, he crossed 13 states in 244 days, walking approximately 3,073 miles. His Walkabout-America 2015 was the culmination of a life-long dream, but moreover was an advocacy campaign to help grant wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. He raised more than $5,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Jeffrey Grabosky
From January 20 to May 20, 2011, Jeff Grabosky ran solo and unsupported for over 3,700 miles from Oceanside, California to Smith Point, New York. He took prayer intentions from people all around the world and prayed a decade of the rosary for each of the approximate 3,500 intentions he received. His book, Running With God Across America was published in 2012.
Bjorn Suneson
In 2016, Bjorn Suneson, a Stockholm native, finished his fifth run across the United States.
Mike Maczuzak
Mike Maczuzak, president of SmartShape Design, walked solo and unsupported from Coney Island to Santa Monica Pier, covering more than 3,600 miles in 125 days, and traveling through 15 states, March to July 2016.
Steve Wescott
Steve Wescott walked from Space Needle in Seattle to Times Square with a goat as his companion. His walk, dubbed Needle2Square, raised awareness and funds for Uzima Outreach, a ministry reaching out to drug addicts, and the neglected and orphaned children of the addicted in Nairobi, Kenya.
Jason P. Lester
Run Across America â€" Ran 3,550 miles in 72 days averaging 50 miles a day across the United States(4th Fastest athlete to run from San Francisco to New York (July 2013) The run raised money for the Waves for Water organization’s Hurricane Relief Initiative
Ted G. Stone
Ted G. Stone was a Southern Baptist evangelist and recovering amphetamine addict who walked across the United States three times and was on his fourth trip when he died. He made the walks to raise awareness for his ministry to addicts and would drive up to 150 miles off of his walking route to speak to groups. His first trip, in 1996, was 3,650-mile from the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C., south to Jacksonville, FL and west to Los Angeles. His second trip, in 1998, was a 3,550-mile walk from San Francisco, CA to Virginia Beach, VA. His third trip was in 2000 and he walked 1,700-mile from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas in Mexico to the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, MI leading into Canada. He died on his fourth trip in 2006 in Nashville, TN. He was walking from Chicago, IL to Pensacola, FL which would have covered 1,100 miles.
Benjamin T. Lee
Benjamin Lee, an Australian, walked from San Francisco to Delaware Bay between May 18 and November 30, 2013. Lee began his walk with a partner but shortly after a month, his partner quit. He continued his walk solo and unsupported. He raised money for the charity Oxfam.
John Ball
John Ball, a graduate from Texas A&M University, walked across the country from March to August 2015. His goal was to raise $25,000 for Aggie Ring scholarships. Ball completed his journey in 170 days, and recorded his journey on a website called The Walking Aggie.
See also
- Transcontinental walk
- List of people who have run across Australia
- List of people who have walked across Australia
- Twenty-first-century fundraising walks in Tasmania
References
Further reading
- Doris Haddock and Dennis Burke (2001). Granny D: Walking Across America in My Ninetieth Year. Villard Books. ISBNÂ 978-0-375-50539-3.Â
- Linda Hunt (2003). Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America. University of Idaho Press. ISBNÂ 978-0-89301-262-5.Â
- Eric M. Latham (2006). Take Steps With A Purpose: A Walk Across America for Cancer Research. Walk About America. ISBNÂ 1-4243-0760-0.Â
- Lyn Hanush (2007). Putting a Face on AMERICA. Winepress Publishing. ISBNÂ 978-1-57921-882-9.Â
- Kevin James Shay (2012). Walking through the Wall. Lulu Press. ISBNÂ 978-1-105-60881-0.Â
- Summerlin, Jamie (2013). Freedom Run. Fitness Info Tech,West Virginia University. p. 264. ISBN 978-1935412502.Â
- "Walking across America: The people who do it, at a glance". The Oregonian.