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List of people who have run across Australia

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This article provides an overview of people who have run across Australia, and information for individuals considering such a run.

Completed journeys

The names of the individuals who have run across Australia have been listed below in chronological order. Sources for data contained within this table have been listed within the body of the article, or where not readily available, directly from the individual concerned.

Name Start date Finish date Duration Starting location Finishing location Direction
George Perdon August 1973 1973 47 days Fremantle Sydney W>E
Tony Rafferty August 1973 October 1973 74 days Fremantle Gold Coast W>E
Ron Grant 1983 1983 217 days Brisbane Brisbane CIR
Sarah Lovington-Fulcher 1985 1985 96 days unknown unknown unknown
Serge Girard 1999 1999 47 days Perth Sydney W>E
Jesper Olsen 31 October 2004 11 February 2005 104 days Sydney Perth E>W
Achim Heukemes 2 April 2005 14 May 2005 43 days Fremantle Sydney W>E
Sarah Mycroft 4 April 2010 27 November 2010 238 days Sydney Sydney CIR

George Perdon

George Perdon ran across Australia during the 1973 Trans-Continental Run, completing the 4807 km journey in 47 days, 1 hour and 54 minutes. He averaged 100 km per day, and set records for 1000 miles (1600 km), 1500 miles (2414 km), 2000 miles (3219 km) and 2,600 miles (4184 km).[1]

George became a household name in 1973 when competing in the 1973 Trans Australia race and racing his rival - Tony Rafferty. George was was unable to get time off work at the appropriate time and missed the official start, giving Rafferty one week’s head start before heading off from Fremantle. Perdon was to end up beating Rafferty into Sydney by a day. They took slightly different routes during the run, causing the run to generate front page headlines for a majority of the journey.[1]

George passed away on 29 June 1993.[1]

Tony Rafferty

In 1972, Tony Rafferty became the first man to run from Melbourne to Sydney, pioneering ultra-distance running in Australia. He was also the first man to run from Perth to Adelaide, Adelaide to Brisbane, Melbourne to Brisbane and Sydney to Brisbane. In 1978, he became the first man to run from Melbourne to Sydney and return.[2] In August to October 1973 Tony became the first person to run from Fremantle to the Gold Coast, and in the process became the first person to run across the Nullarbor Plain.[3] He completed the run in 74 days.[4]

Tony has received many commendations for his achievements. Most notably, he was a Torch Bearer for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and the recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2002 for services to Ultramarathon Running and the promotion of Community Fitness.[3]

Ron Grant

In 1983, Ron Grant ran 13,383 km around Australia in 217 days. Ron completed the run in an anticlockwise direction. Starting in Brisbane, he then proceeded to Townsville, Mt Isa, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, then back to Brisbane. He maintained an overall daily average of 61.67 km, and was the first person to do it solo. Soon after this achievement, he was awarded the Queensland Sportsman of the year Award in 1983, Queenslander of the Year in 1984, and the Order of Australia in 1984.[5][6]

Sarah Lovington-Fulcher

Sarah Fulcher ran 4363.2 km across Australia in 1985, completing her journey in a record breaking 96 days.[7] She is reportedly the first woman and only the third person to complete a 2,700 mile run around Australia.[8] Sarah also set the Guinness world record for longest continuous solo run with a distance of 17918 km (11,134 miles) in 14 months, an average of a marathon a day.[9]

Serge Girard

Main article: Serge Girard

Serge Girard ran from Perth to Sydney in 1999, covering a distance of 3,755 km in 46 days, 23 hours, 12 min and setting a world record in the process. The world record remained intact until beaten by Achim Heukemes in 2005.

Jesper Olsen

Main article: Jesper Olsen (runner)

Jesper Olsen is a Danish marathon runner who ran across Australia as part of his first journey around the world. He departed from Sydney on 31 October 2004, and arrived in Perth on 11 February 2005.[10][11][12] He completed the journey in 104 days, before proceeding onto Los Angeles to complete the American leg of his run around the world.

Achim Heukemes

Achim Heukemes (born 1951 in Wuppertal, Germany) is a ultramarathon runner known for his 4,568-kilometre run through Australia. He started from Fremantle on 2 April 2005 and finished in Sydney 43 days, 13 hours and 8 minutes later. By this feat, he beat the previous world record of Serge Girard from 1999.

Sarah Mycroft

Sarah Mycroft ran around Australia on 27 November 2010. She ran an average of 62 km a day for 238 days, covering a total of 14,772 km. In doing so, she also raised $3021 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).[13][14]

Associated risks

There are a multitude of risks which would be encountered by someone when crossing the Australian wilderness. These can include being struck by a moving vehicle, dehydration, heatstroke, sunburn, hypothermia, infection from chafing and blistering, getting lost, being unable to communicate due to a lack of cellular coverage, being attacked by a predatory animal such as a dingo, or being bitten by venomous snakes, ants or spiders.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "George Perdon". Retrieved 2011–03–21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ "Speaker Tony Rafferty". Retrieved 2011–03–28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Tony Rafferty". Retrieved 2011–03–21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "A History of the Marathon Race — 490 B.C. to 1975" (PDF). Retrieved 2011–03–28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ "Ron Grant". Retrieved 2011–03–21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ^ "World Harmony Run: 75 Ron Grant". Retrieved 2011–03–21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ^ Campbell 1991, p. 16.
  8. ^ "Women's College Alumnae - Notable Firsts". Retrieved 2011–03–29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  9. ^ ""Why Sports Make Women Better"". 11 March 2011. Retrieved 2011–03–29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  10. ^ "Route Info - Part 4 - Australia". Retrieved 2011–03–28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ "Progress map". Retrieved 2011–03–28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ "Jesper Olsen Completes Australian Leg of World Run". 7 September 2009. Retrieved 2011–03–28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ "One lap, no excuses". Retrieved 2011–03–21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ "Running mum: 'I ran around Australia!'". 21 March 2011. Retrieved 2011–03–21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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