TUESDAY 29 MARCH 2016

Australian ultra-marathon legend Pat Farmer is due to finish his epic 4600km run through India on Tuesday 29 March 2016 at approx. 4:30pm AEDT – one day earlier than expected.

Pat will reach the official finish point at Srinagar in the foothills of the Himalayas on Tuesday, taking 64 days to run the length of India instead of the predicted 65 days.

The Spirit of India run began on 26 January 2016 (Australia Day and India Republic Day) in the southernmost point of India at Kanyakumari.

54 year old Pat has run an average of 80km every day for 64 days, heading north along the west coast of India before turning inland to pass through Agra and Delhi, then continuing north through Chandigarh and on to Srinagar.

The Spirit of India Run’s purpose has been to cement relations between Australia and India, inspire and connect with the citizens of India and to raise money for the education of girls in India through the Nanhi Kali foundation.

Along the way, Pat has:

–        Run through deserts, beaches, jungles, mountains, cities and highways, high humidity, drenching rain and thunderstorms.

–        Collapsed on Day 2 from severe dehydration but insisted on visiting a school at the end of the day before going to hospital for an IV drip to replace fluids

–        Run hundreds of kilometres with an inflamed left Achilles tendon

–        Run through smoke in areas where burning was taking place, affecting his breathing and throat

–        Dodged traffic, stampeding cattle and truck crashes

–     Run through the aftermath of mudslides in Kashmir

–        Visited Gandhi’s home, the Taj Mahal, Golden Temple and India Gate

–        Visited many schools to meet and talk to students

–        Been welcomed into villages and cities/regions with formal ceremonies and informal celebrations – some with thousands of people gathered to see him run

–        Had the support of anywhere from 20 to 200 people running with him at any given time

–        Been greeted by entire schools lining the road to cheer and greet him

–        Been mobbed by Indian media

–        Become famous in India – his own face and name on posters and truck billboards throughout the run