Inspired by the movie "Forrest Gump," a U.S. man is running across the United States from Newport Beach, California to Newport, Rhode Island.

The 26-year-old from Connecticut notes on his Web site that he's not the first to run across the country. But after seeing the movie a decade ago, he knew it was something he wanted to do, he said on his site.

The cities are nearly 3,000 miles apart. Jonathan Williams is shooting for an average of 25 miles a day on his trek, which he has dreamed of since seeing the 1994 movie's title character, played by Tom Hanks, run across the U.S.

Friends post encouraging messages on Williams' Web site, http://www.runwillyrun.com. Williams started in May and expects to finish in Rhode Island in September.