The Brit William Goodge has covered the 3,800 kilometers between Perth and Sydney in 35 days. Along the way, he lost his toenails and suffered from hallucinations. He raised money to help cancer patients. His mother died of the disease.
Goodge ran about a hundred kilometers every day, the equivalent of two and a half marathons. With that, he ran the length of Australia in the record time of 35 days. In 2023, the previous record holder took 39 days. On Monday, the Brit arrived at the famous Bondi Beach in Sydney.
After the finish, Goodge described the journey as “a constant nightmare that just wouldn’t end,” reports the BBC. Along the way, the man lost his toenails, parts of his feet rotted, and he suffered from hallucinations due to the pain and lack of sleep.
Goodge said he stayed upright by thinking of his mother during the difficult moments. She died of cancer in 2018. “She was the most special person in my life, and she would be proud and worried about what I was doing,” he said. With the record attempt, the ultra-runner raised money to help people suffering from cancer.
It is not the first record that Goodge has broken. In 2023, he ran from New York to Los Angeles in 55 days, making him the fastest Briton to ever do so.