Aussie marathoner starts pan-India run for girl child

Pat Farmer is attempting to go a distance of 4,600 km across 10 states in 60 days for his run the Spirit of India. Incidentally January 26, which is celebrated as Republic Day in India is also celebrated as Australia Day in the island nation. 

“I am very excited to be running the length of India as never before have I run in a country with such diversity and steeped in such cultural significance,” says Farmer. Farmer will run along the west coast of India passing through Kochi and Kasargod in Kerala and then through Karwar in coastal Karnataka before moving on to Goa and Maharashtra. 

“The way I planned out the Spirit of India Run was that I thought about it town by town and state by state. I worked my way through the country looking at its terrain, weather conditions, traffic congestion, population and sites of cultural significance. 

These were all factors in determining the route,” he adds. The run is aimed at cementing relations between India and Australia and aims to raise funds for education of girl child. “I’ve been a junior minister for education in Australia and in my stint I recognised that girls grow up to the be the mothers of the families and the first educators of their children. Therefore, it’s my belief that if you educate the girl child, you educate the nation,” puts forth the 53-year-old runner. 

The ministry of tourism in co-ordination with the High Commission of Australia has organised the run. Pat was inspired to take up endurance running through a long distance race in Australia. He feels it provides great opportunities to travel within the country and the world. 

Sharing his memories from the North Pole to South Pole run, he says, “I ran for 10 months, averaging about 40 kilometers per day or 46 marathons a month, running through blistering heat, freezing cold and the impenetrable Darien Jungle. It was an exhilarating feeling.”