"Honoring His Beloved Mother"... British Man Sets New World Record by Running 3,800 km Across Australia in 35 Days

William Goodge from the UK Sets New Record Crossing Australia
Runs Across the Continent to Raise Funds for Cancer Charities
"I Endured by Thinking of My Mother"

A man in his 30s from the United Kingdom set a world record by running 100 km a day and crossing Australia in just 35 days.

A man in his 30s from the United Kingdom set a world record by running 100 km a day and crossing Australia in 35 days. Photo by William Goodge, YouTube capture

According to the BBC on May 20 (local time), William Goodge, a 31-year-old ultramarathon runner from Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, broke the world record by completing a 3,800 km journey across Australia in 35 days.

Goodge started on April 15 from Cottesloe Beach in Perth, running an average of about 100 km per day?the equivalent of two and a half marathons?and arrived at Bondi Beach in Sydney on the afternoon of May 20. His father joined him at the finish line.

He began running to honor his mother, Amanda, who passed away from cancer in 2018. This run across Australia was also organized to raise funds for cancer-related charities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.

The previous world record for crossing Australia was set by Chris Turnbull in 2023, who completed the journey in 39 days. Before that, Australian electrician Ned Brockmann finished in 47 days and raised millions of dollars.

Reflecting on the crossing, Goodge told Guardian Australia, "It felt like a never-ending nightmare. The first nine days were extremely painful," adding, "I had to keep telling myself, both physically and mentally, 'It's hard, but I will endure and keep going.'" He revealed that the grueling journey caused him to lose toenails, his feet began to rot, and he suffered bone pain so severe that he couldn't sleep properly and even experienced hallucinations.

However, he said he was able to overcome the pain by thinking of his mother. "Whenever it gets tough, I think of my mother?what kind of person she was and how she approached life. That gives me strength," he said, adding, "I always feel like she is right by my side."

Immediately after crossing the finish line, Goodge laid a bouquet of flowers on Bondi Beach in memory of his mother. He told the local media outlet Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), "My mother was the most special person in my life," adding, "She would be proud of everything I have accomplished, but at the same time, she would have been worried."

Meanwhile, Goodge also holds the title of "the fastest British man to cross America," having completed the journey from Los Angeles to New York in 55 days.