3054km in 60 days on New Zealands tough as nails trail!

3054km in 60 days on New Zealands tough as nails trail!

Wilderness Runner Hits Halfway

50k a day of treacherous terrain on 3000km Te Araroa trail

Aventure runner Richard Bowles is set to create another record in the world of ultra-distance trail running, right here in New Zealand.

Since starting the Te Araroa trail on Saturday 13 October, Richard has so far run (and crawled in some parts) 1600km of the 3054km Te Araroa trail which stretches from Cape Reinga in the North of New Zealand to Bluff in the South where he aims to arrive on 15th December.

Despite knee deep mud and overgrown trails, infected cuts and a couple of tumbles on the Tonagariro volcano, Richard has fallen in love with the beauty of New Zealand, “It’s absolutely stunning, every day is another bit of paradise!”.

During 2012 Richard became the first person to run the world’s longest marked trail, the rough and remote National Trail of Australia, raising awareness and funds for mental health organisation SANE Australia along the way.

In just 5.5 months Richard ran the equivalent of 127 marathons, and traversed the treacherous dividing range mountains from Melbourne to Cooktown, earning the reputation as a hybrid of Bear Grylls and Forrest Gump.

Combining a passion for adventure, a love for running, and a determination to make a positive contribution to the places through which he runs, Richard is raising funds and awareness for Project Crimson, a leading conservation organisation.

Many people have run the length of New Zealand on relatively flat terrain and at a total distance of just 2,200km. Richard will run another 50% on top of this distance and on rugged, mountainous terrain. Richard says, “The trail less travelled offers the best adventures, and I’m all about challenging myself on a daily basis”.

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