What route should you take when running across the country?

I'm sure that you will enjoy the sights and sounds of running along the shoulder of I-90, I-80, or I-70.

I was wondering, could you run across country, only on trails?

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Run the distance wrote:

I am interested in running across the country but need to find the right route in order to do so. Wondering if anyone here has done it before, or knows a recommended route to take. I will probably have a support van with me for sleeping and such, but of course the physical route is the most important part.

I highly recommend tracking down a copy of Meditations From the Breakdown Lane: Running Across America by James Shapiro.

Just use the route Forrest Gump ran.

The route doesn’t matter. Just make sure you have a comfortable RV to hang out in while you “run.”

Run the distance wrote:

I am interested in running across the country but need to find the right route in order to do so. Wondering if anyone here has done it before, or knows a recommended route to take. I will probably have a support van with me for sleeping and such, but of course the physical route is the most important part.

Actually the most important part (for someone who's truly interested in this) would be to seek out websites/forums dedicated to such ultra endeavors, which shouldn't be too difficult with this new thing I've heard about called "Google".

For trolls, however, the most important part is the rating: 0/10.

Just Another Run of the Mill ex-D1 er wrote:

Run the distance wrote:

I am interested in running across the country but need to find the right route in order to do so. Wondering if anyone here has done it before, or knows a recommended route to take. I will probably have a support van with me for sleeping and such, but of course the physical route is the most important part.

Actually the most important part (for someone who's truly interested in this) would be to seek out websites/forums dedicated to such ultra endeavors, which shouldn't be too difficult with this new thing I've heard about called "Google".

Don't listen to the Yahoo's around here, your best bet is letsrunacrossthecountry.com

Get your kicks on route 66.

Depends if you want to go the long way or the short way.

If it’s the long way, I’d start in Northland, maybe run down 90 Mile Beach. Pickup Highway 1 when you have to and continue on South until you get to the ferry. Keep going south on Highway 1. If you need a few more miles when you get to the end, catch the ferry to Stewart Island.

If you’re looking for a shorter run, start in Christchurch and run over to Greymouth on the opposite coast. You can take the train back if you don’t want to retrace your steps.

Run the distance wrote:

I am interested in running across the country but need to find the right route in order to do so. Wondering if anyone here has done it before, or knows a recommended route to take. I will probably have a support van with me for sleeping and such, but of course the physical route is the most important part.

Look up Rickey Gates -- he ran across the country in 2017.

The website LANYfootrace.com seem to be offline right now. No idea if it comes back to life.

Anyway there was the Roadbook with a detailed route published there.

Give me an email address and I will send it too you.

Marshall Ulrich also wrote a book with a route on there.

You should find Pete Kostelnicks route as well.

Like I say like like a lot wrote:

I was wondering, could you run across country, only on trails?

Mike Samuelson organized that in 2012. I think the race had one third on trails.

More infos here:

Use google maps

Enter starting and ending points

Choose the little walking person icon to get a walkable path (in theory).

FYI, Long Beach to NYC is a 917 h walk per google maps.

Pete Kostelnick ran across the country from San Francisco to New York in 2016 (and set the world record in doing so). You can see his route and other details on his website here: http://petesfeetaa.com/

Ultramarkus wrote:

Like I say like like a lot wrote:

I was wondering, could you run across country, only on trails?

Mike Samuelson organized that in 2012. I think the race had one third on trails.

There is too much private land to make a full trail run across the USA practical.

Of interest is the first transcontinental foot crossing by Edward Payson Weston in 1909. He did not go along roads. His path was along railroad right of ways, and had the full support of the railroad to do so. I think that using railroad right of ways would be much harder to get away with these days. An advantage would be that climbs are more smooth than along roads or trails.

googlethatspit wrote:

Use google maps

Enter starting and ending points

Choose the little walking person icon to get a walkable path (in theory).

FYI, Long Beach to NYC is a 917 h walk per google maps.

Yeah, that doesn't work.

Adam Kimble tried that a couple years back. He found out the hard way that this is not a feasible approach.

I've done this a couple of times.

The most important part of the route is to run from the east to the west.

This is for a few key reasons:

1. You'll have the sun in your eyes less since you'll be running more in the morning (when it's cooler) than in the evening.

2. Because of the time change you'll have a couple extra hours of light and less feeling of jet-lag.

3. Most people don't think about it, because it doesn't have much effect on shorter distances, but the Earth is spinning at over 1,000 mph for west to east, so when you're up in the air between strides it's moving underneath you - a small amount each step but it adds up over a couple thousand miles like this. If you run west to east it'll work against you (you'll give up a little distance every stride) and you'll end up having to run an extra hundred miles or so. But going east to west it's like picking up a free 100 miles for nothing.

I second the first daughter’s recommendations. RE #3: You’re actually better off not trying to run at all. Just jump up and down for a few hours every day. You’ll be there in no time.