Former Australian MP and ultra-long distance runner Pat Farmer set off on a 4,600 km marathon run in India on 26th January.
53-year-old Farmer is a former junior minister who set off on his 'Spirit of India' journey from the southernmost tip of the country. He plans to cover about 60-80 km a day before ending his marathon run in Kashmir. The start coincided with the India's Republic Day and the Australia Day.
"India and Australia have been friends for a very long time. I am running to consolidate this friendship," he said before kicking off his run.
"I am sure that this will prove to be the most incredible run that I have ever done," he said.
Farmer has tied up with a leading charity “to raise money for the education of the girl child".
ROUTE AND PLAN:
Starting in Kanyakumari, Farmer and his team will run via Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat before moving to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi and then into Haryana, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
He will be accompanied by Anupam Sharma, a well-known Indian-Australian film maker, "who hopes to produce a top quality documentary at the end of the run.”
PAT'S GLORIOUS PAST:
He ran from the North to the South Pole in 2011-12 and raised more than $100,000 for Red Cross International's clean water programmes.
In 2014, he ran more than 1,300 km in two weeks through the Middle East to raise money and create awareness for peace initiatives in the region.
