Dave Alley, the father-of-four who last week set a new record for running around Australia when he clocked up 13,383klm in 169 days, finished his epic trip yesterday afternoon when he arrived at the place he set off from six months ago, Oakes Oval in Lismore.
The 39-year-old was welcomed with open arms by a very proud Northern Rivers community, having achieved a mental and physical feat most people find difficult to even imagine.
Every day for the past six months, with not one day off, he has run two marathons.
Alley broke the record set by Pat Farmer in 1999 by five days when he reached a point on the New England highway just north of Uralla but decided to complete the round Australia circle by running a ‘cool down’ 400klm back to Lismore.
Alley took on the mammoth challenge in an attempt to raise awareness of, and funds to help deal with, depression, particularly in rural Australia.
He was supported by an extensive and dedicated support crew, including manager David Lees and nutritionist Afton Cahill, who slept under the stars through heat and cold to be there when needed.
All up, the Brisbane policeman has run the equivalent of 327 marathons, which saw him wear through 22 pairs of running shoes.
Along the way, he set another world record for the fastest time to run 10,000 klms when he passed a point just west of the Nullarbor Roadhouse on the Eyre Highway in South Australia in 127 days.
The Race Around Australia team is still raising funds for depression, hoping to reach a target of $100,000. Visit www.racearoundaus.com.au.
Shan Goodwin
Journalist for The Land on the North Coast.
Journalist for The Land on the North Coast.
