Australian athlete runs record-breaking 107 consecutive marathons (and she’s not stopping)

On a warm August morning, Erchana Murray-Bartlett began running from Cape York, Australia, to Melbourne (the tip of the toe of Australia, inspiring the name of her fundraiser, “tip to toe 2022”). On Dec. 3, 107 days later, she achieved one of her goals–setting the Guinness World Record for running the most marathons in a row by a woman.

After meeting her parents at the finish line to celebrate, she rested and re-fuelled, so she could start again in the morning, raising money for endangered animals along the way. She says she’s not stopping until she finishes marathon 150.

Murray-Bartlett, 32, has a master’s degree in nutrition and has been an elite runner for a decade. “The sport has provided me with many opportunities to travel, meet new people and push my physical boundaries,” she says, adding that she runs every day regardless of conditions. She credits her partner, Ryan, with helping get her project rolling, taking video footage and supporting her along the way.

“I have always wanted to cross the country on foot, but the real kicker started when I watched a documentary of Beau Miles running 650 km through the Australian Alps when I was stuck in hotel quarantine during the Covid pandemic,” Murray-Bartlett explains. We caught up with Murray-Bartlett after Sunday’s record-breaking run.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Erchana Murray-Bartlett (@tip_to_toe_2022)

CR: What inspired you to start this record attempt (and to go for the 150 days)? 

I love Australia’s native animals. I think they’re incredibly unique, with fun personalities and interesting characteristics. We have some globally iconic wildlife, yet Australia is a world leader in biodiversity loss. We have almost 500 native animals currently sitting on the endangered list. This number has risen by eight per cent since 2016.

Extinction is a choice and we need to educate our policymakers to ensure we are making the right one. So, I’m running to be the voice of our native animals and the wild places they call home. I wanted to counteract a bad world record (Australia being a world leader in biodiversity loss) with a good world record (breaking the GWR for most consecutive marathons by a female).

CR: What does it feel like to run 107 marathons in a row? How is your body doing?

To be honest, I’m exhausted. My hips, feet, legs and back ache. I feel a little bit emotionally exhausted too after reaching the record last Sunday–the challenge is now to just keep going, and I’m excited to see what my body can do.

The hardest part was the first month. My body was still adjusting, and I found myself with three injuries, all on my left leg. Now, the daily grind is a familiar feeling, and I’m finding I’m actually feeling stronger and stronger as time goes by. Mentally, I’m very motivated and extremely excited to continue the journey to Melbourne. There are some incredible places to see in my immediate future and some great people to meet!

CR: What does a typical day look like? 

I wake up really early to avoid the intense Aussie sun, and hit the road after a quick coffee and bowl of oats with banana. I’ll run south for around four hours, passing through national parks, coastal paths, and taking gorgeous backroads, until I hit the 42.2 km mark.

The afternoons are what vary–we set up camp, eat a big meal, and shower in any body of water. Then I spend the afternoons visiting schools, grassroots volunteer programs, or engaging with the media about the cause. I try and spend a little bit of each day recovering, but sometimes this actually gets pushed down the priority list.

What do you eat to keep you going out there? Any favourite fuel?

I eat loads! About 5,000 calories per day, with a big breakfast, coffee, and then snacks throughout the run. This includes fruit, Clif bars, Hydralite and anything else I can get my hands on. I have lunch, and then often a second lunch (a wrap, a burger, or nachos) and a giant dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Erchana Murray-Bartlett (@tip_to_toe_2022)

Since we’re camping, it has to be anything that can be cooked on a gas stove top. And always, without fail, some dark chocolate for dessert. I’ve actually sampled every ice cream down the East Coast of Australia!

So far you’ve raised nearly AUD $50,000 for at-risk wildlife. How can our readers learn more about your fundraiser?

 I’m taking donations via my GoFundMe page. Funds will go a long way towards helping the Wilderness Society continue its amazing work fighting extinction. Let’s work together to keep wild places wild!

You can follow Murray-Bartlett’s adventures on social media here.