The Running Pizza Man visits, participates in Run for Aviation

The Running Pizza Man came to Warner Robins over the weekend to participate in the Museum of Aviation’s Run for Aviation event. 

Who he is, is Adam Fisher, but because of what he does, most people have come to know him as simply, “Pepper Roni.” Fisher, who was born in Macon and graduated from Northside High School in Warner Robins, has a broad base of admirers on a national level through social media. He admits that he doesn’t share his story very often, so while those who follow him know what he does, it’s very possible that the majority of them aren’t aware of the narrative that started it all.

“The whole story of my running goes back to 2014,” Fisher recalled. “I was living in Alaska at the time, and I traveled to Georgia to spend Christmas at home. A couple of weeks after I flew back to Alaska, I found out I had a blood clot in my left leg and had developed multiple pulmonary embolisms in both lungs.”

Even after he got through the ordeal, Fisher said he was left feeling weak and low-spirited. After he’d recovered enough to do something about it, he decided to start running to build his strength. At first he was just running short

distances, but once he noticed that the activity was therapeutic for him both mentally and physically, he challenged himself to aim higher.

“I started doing 5K and 10K events,” he said, “but I was living in Alaska, so I was limited because I could only run there in the summer unless I wanted to run indoors.” Fisher doesn’t enjoy running on treadmills, so he eventually relocated to warmer climate. “I moved to North Carolina,” he revealed. “It was there that I trained for my first half-marathon.” Fisher says he still clearly remembers running the All-American Marathon at Fort Bragg.

During the race, which took place on March 31, 2017, Fisher noticed that many of those who ran with him were dressed in costumes. He observed how the crowd seemed to cheer hardest for them, so he began considering a creative outfit for himself. Fisher’s original idea was to run dressed as Batman, but his mother did something that sparked a different plan.

“My mom sent me an old school assignment I’d done as a third grader. One of the questions asked me to name my favorite food, and my answer was, pizza,” he said. “My first thought when I read it was, that’s about the same now!”

Fisher said he began researching information on how runners often loaded up on carbohydrates when preparing for races. And the rest, as they say, is history. “I started eating a lot of pizza and collecting pizza gear. I got the shirt, shorts, arm sleeves, socks, ties; everything I needed, I could find online.” Fisher said the first run he did in full costume as “Pepper Roni,” not only got him a lot of crowd support, but his speed increased. “When you have the crowd supporting you and people actually chasing you in support of you, it’s great. It energizes you.”

He has advanced now to doing full marathons, and Fisher has become aware that he is inspiring others. “When I got to the 22-mile point of my first marathon, I decided to stop running and just walk for a little bit. Well, some guy came up from behind me, slowed down, patted me on the back, and said, ‘No, you can’t give up now. You’ve been keeping me going. I’ve been chasing you for 20 miles.’ I was like, no way!” The brief exchange gave Fisher his second wind, and he ended up finishing in just under four-and-a-half hours.

While he loves the rush he gets from the crowd and his base of fans, Fisher didn’t hesitate to say that the ongoing support from his family members and friends is ultimately what keeps him going. “My girlfriend comes out to the races now dressed in pizza gear, and that means a lot to me. People see her clothes and come up to her and ask, ‘Are you with the pizza man?’ It puts a smile on her face.”

The things that motivated Fisher at the onset of his running career have shifted a bit over the years. Initially, it was primarily about exercise. These days, it’s more about challenging himself and challenging others as well.

“My goal is to run a half-marathon or farther in all fifty states,” he said. So far, he’s done it in eight states. “I want to inspire other people to know they can run faster, accomplish what they want to accomplish, and give other people something to chase. For me, it’s not about winning. I’m not trying to beat the next person; I’m not even trying to beat myself. I’m just trying to finish. That’s what’s most important.”

To keep up with Fisher’s running journey go online to Instagram at RunningPizzaMan or on Facebook: Pepper Roni (Running Pizza Man).