Australian runner Erchana Murray-Bartlett has achieved an extraordinary feat by completing 150 marathons in 150 days, covering 6,300 kilometers (3,900 miles) from Australia’s northernmost point to Melbourne, potentially setting a new world record.
The 32-year-old crossed the finish line on Monday, surpassing the previous record of 106 consecutive marathons held by British runner Kate Jayden. CNN has contacted Guinness World Records to verify Murray-Bartlett’s accomplishment.
While Jayden’s marathon challenge aimed to raise funds for refugees, Murray-Bartlett undertook her run to highlight the urgent need to protect Australia’s biodiversity.
Documenting her journey on Instagram, Murray-Bartlett expressed her goal of showcasing Australia’s natural beauty, including its national parks and the Great Barrier Reef.
“I wanted to showcase Australia’s beauty to the world. Our national parks and the Great Barrier Reef are globally remarkable, and experiencing them on foot provides a unique perspective,” Murray-Bartlett told CNN affiliate Nine News.
Through her marathon endeavor, Murray-Bartlett raised over 118,000 Australian dollars ($82,130) for the Wilderness Society, with all proceeds directed towards the conservation of Australia’s native wildlife.
Australia faces severe challenges with species extinction and has implemented a 10-year strategy to prevent further losses. The country’s wildlife has been critically affected by natural disasters and climate change, including the devastating bushfires of 2019-20 that impacted nearly 3 billion animals, as estimated by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Starting her journey from Cape York in Queensland in August, Murray-Bartlett ran 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles) daily, enduring extreme weather conditions and crossing diverse terrains including dirt roads, rivers, and beaches.
“It’s incredibly exhausting, but I feel immensely grateful to have reached the finish line,” she remarked on Monday. While Murray-Bartlett’s run traversed Australia from north to south, Australian Nedd Brockmann had previously completed a nearly 4,000-kilometer (2,500-mile) run from west to east in 2022 over 47 days.
Brockmann began his run at Cottesloe Beach in Perth and was celebrated with a hero’s welcome at Bondi Beach in Sydney in October, raising 2 million Australian dollars ($1.26 million) for the homeless charity We Are Mobilise, nearly doubling his original goal.
Earlier in 2022, British runners Fay Cunningham and Emma Petrie matched the world record for the most consecutive days running a marathon distance in the women’s category, completing 106 marathons together from February to June, according to Guinness World Records.