This Sydneysider is About to Beat the World Record for Running From Perth to Sydney

The world record of running from Perth to Sydney has stood at 43 days for 18 years – and we’re just hours away from seeing it shattered.

 

Meet Chris Turnbull AKA The Bull, the unstoppable man on a mission to smash the world record for the fastest run from Perth to Sydney. The current record stands at 43 days, set in 2005 by German ultra-marathon runner Achim Heukemes, and Chris is on track to do it in 40 days as soon as this weekend.

Little did we know that less than 12 months after Nedd Brockmann’s mammoth run across the country, which took the nation by storm, that we’d be staring down the barrel of a world-record-breaking continental crossing.

How did Chris get here?

For the past 39 days, Chris has been on a breakneck mission to cross the country in record time, with unwavering determination to complete this epic adventure. With just shy of 4,000km under his belt, and only a few hundred more to go, he’s expected to land on the shores of Manly Beach this weekend.

Chris is no stranger to larger-than-life adventures and long-distance running, driven by an immense passion and love of the outdoors and the thrill of pushing everything to the extreme.

The 4000km Journey

Since setting off on the 8th of August, Chris has run an average of 100km each and every day – the equivalent of two and a half marathons – in pursuit of setting a world record.

Running in the shadows of B-Doubles along major highways that crisscross the continent, Chris and his support crew (including his mum and dad!) have experienced some of the extremes of remote Australia, as well as heartwarming interactions with locals cheering him on along the way.

Chris is also encouraging anyone who’s inspired by his run and wants to make a positive impact, to sign up for a live online mental health training, provided for free by Black Dog Institute.

When and where is the finish line?

After a gruelling 39 days, Chris is now only hours away from the finish line. He’s expected to be coming up the Corso to Manly Beach around 1:30pm on Saturday the 16th of September, so if you live in Sydney, this is your invite to get around it! Get yourself down to Manly and make some noise for Chris and the crew!

To follow Chris through his last few hours of the journey check out his Instagram and follow the run in real time, as he snakes through the suburbs of Sydney.

Feature images thanks to @jackingtonesquire