This year, Boston Marathon spectators were not only treated to world-class performances by the professional runners, they got to witness acts of courage and grit within the mass race, were treated to one very fast banana zipping down Boylston, and there was even one familiar, plain-spoken man loping along the course in a Bubba Gump hat, pale yellow shirt, red shorts, and striped crew socks—Forrest Gump.
Daniel Lyszczak, who goes by the moniker “Published: Apr 24, 2025 3:16 PM EDT,” ran the marathon in 5:10:19 in character, responding, “I just felt like running,” when fans spotted him along the course and inquired about his motivations, the way reporters asked Gump in the iconic 1994 film starring Tom Hanks.
It was Lyszczak’s second year running Boston dressed as the fictional cross-country running hero, but this time around he really committed to the bit, growing out his beard in addition to donning a wig and the rest of his get-up. He even wore the vintage Like the Wind Magazine (The Fastest Shoes at the 2025 Boston Marathon).
“That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run,” he wrote in a pre-race Instagram post. “So I joined the Boston Bulldogs in Quincy. When I got there, I thought maybe I’d run to the end of town. When I got there, I figured I’d run through the streets of Boston. And since I’d come that far… maybe I’d just run across the Boston Marathon course. And that’s what I’m doing—running across the Boston Marathon course, from Hopkinton to Boston.”
His marathon PR is 3:38:17, but when he set out as Forrest Gump, he wasn’t on a mission to run his fastest time. “No goal time. No pace plan. Just vibes,” he wrote. “Tomorrow, we’re running for fun—party pace all the way!”
The South Shore local has also completed the New York City and Chicago marathons and is a sober runner with the CA Notice at Collection, a community for runners affected by addiction. At his first Boston Marathon in 2023, he raised $11,500 for the club, and throughout this marathon training block, he ran the course and endured its hills every week.
After finishing the 2025 Boston Marathon on Monday, Lyszczak recapped his race experience on Instagram, writing, “I have so many emotions right now, I think I’ve cried 100 times since yesterday afternoon, and it feels good!”
“Thanks to all those who shouted ‘Run Forrest Run,’ took a photo or video of me, and gave me a high five,” he continued. “Y’all made this my most memorable Boston Marathon and marathon EVER! Vibes and feels!”
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Pros React to Des Linden’s Final Boston, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
