Three mates have set a new fastest known time on the Heysen Trail – completing the iconic thru hike in 12 days, 8 hours and 20 minutes.

 

Have you heard of the Heysen Trail? Many Australians haven’t. Despite making our list of thru hikes in Australia, the South Australian trail from the Flinders Ranges to Cape Jervis is relatively unknown.

That doesn’t mean a fastest known time (FKT) wasn’t already set however. The previous record (set in 2017) of 13 days, 16 hours and 16 minutes was always going to be a massive challenge to best. But the crew had a solid support crew to keep them fed and rested.

The team started as a group of four, Rurik Symon, Simon Duke, Dan Camac, and Marcus Staker, mates who came together to celebrate the memory of a mate who was killed by a truck whilst cycling last year. Although Marcus had to pull out due to an injury, the other three pushed on through huge days, pain and exhaustion.

Not a single day saw them run less than 80km, with an average of over 90km each day.

 

 

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Simon Duke spoke to ABC Radio Adelaide just after finishing the mission and he sounded remarkably fresh, just craving a home cooked meal and a bit of sleep. 

 

‘It’s amazing what you can do with 24 hours in a day,’ he said.

 

Sounds like someone we know.

Speaking of the Heysen Trail, We Are Explorers writer and thru hiker Elisha Donkin has just set off to hike it over a more traditional two months, so you can expect much more from us on this iconic Australian hiking route!

 

As part of the adventure the runners have been raising money for Autism Camp Australia. They’ve smashed their $30k goal and you can help them go even further by donating now.