Racing across India

Pat Farmer — famous for his ‘Pole to Pole Run’, between the North and South Poles — is now running all the way from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. On Wednesday, he reached Mumbai, and we quizzed him about the milestones along his epic journey.

On January 26, Patrick Farmer, the ultra marathon runner from Australia, set off from Kanyakumari. In about three weeks, he reached Mumbai, and by the time you read these words, he will be well on his way to Gujarat. Patrick, popularly known as Pat, is running a distance of 4,600 km in 60 days — right up to Kashmir.

In an effort to build stronger ties between the Australian and Indian government, Pat will be running through 12 states and one union territory across India. Pat’s ‘Spirit of India’ run was initiated with a view to encourage tourism in the states and create awareness among Australian travellers.

“I have never been welcomed like this anywhere, I already feel like an honorary Indian!” Pat announced at a special gathering in the city on Wednesday evening.

For the last three weeks, he has been starting at as early as 5.30 in the morning and running for about 80 km, every day. Talking about his passion for running Pat recalled the decisive moment when he had dropped out of school in Australia at the age of 14 and thought of becoming a runner one day.

“I was working as a mechanic in a garage and one day I saw a huge fanfare outside my workplace. I went out to see this old man, a 63-year-old, who was planning to run from Sydney to Melbourne, a distance of 1,000 km...”

I thought to myself, a man at the age of 63 was inspiring an entire nation. That’s where it all began,” Pat said.

In the years to come, Pat also got the opportunity to enter politics in Australia, where he started his career as a junior minister for science and training. “And all because an old man ran past the garage that I was working in,” he exclaimed.

Pat, who is also a motivational speaker, spoke on how India is at the cusp of achieving its long deserved greatness and all it needs from her citizen is “admiration and self-belief”.

For his run here, apart from his physical trainers and physiotherapist, Pat is also being accompanied by a television crew which will cover the entire run and prepare a documentary that will be screened on Australia’s Channel 9 TV Network.

“This is not about me but about the Spirit of India, and that’s why when I chose my crew with a lot of care,” said Pat. “I didn’t want them to shoot only the beautiful landscapes, but wanted them to shoot the people whom I would interact everyday. And I want to se through their eyes what they think in their heart.” One Step at a Time, the working title of the documentary is being directed and produced by Australian-Indian filmmaker Anupam Sharma (unINDIAN, Indian Aussies). Also part of the team is Indian filmmaker Yasmin Kidwai.

“I chose to do this because I wanted people sitting at home to know and understand what’s involved in being on the road and traversing the length of an incredible nation. I figured the best way to do that was to get out there and run it so that people can see the road and the landscape of India through my eyes and through my footsteps,” Pat added.

According to the runner, “tenacity” is the word that sums him up. “Nothing worthwhile happens overnight,” he said. “(There was a time) when people weren’t cheering, and dogs were chasing me while I was running for 20 km every day on the Moroubra Beach (Sydney) When people called me mad, but I kept running anyway. I do work very hard along with my trainers and physiotherapist, and it’s been a year of hard activity that has prepared me for this feat However, that’s not much considering athletes work so hard for four years for a few seconds’ performance.”

Between April 2011 and January 2012, Pat Farmer successfully completed the world’s longest ultra-marathon, a “Pole to Pole Run” from the North Pole to the South Pole, raising AUD 100,000 for Red Cross International.

In India, Pat is raising funds to support girls’ education throughout the country. “In Kerela, I had gone to a school, where I was talking about girls’ education, when a boy stood up and asked me why aren’t we talking about boys’ education,” said Pat. “I thought for a moment and explained to him how mothers are incredible people and every girl will become a mother someday, and they are the first educators of the nation.”

Pat’s next stop is Vapi. Pat’s recent ultra distance running milestones 2014: Pat completes a 20-day Peace Run from Lebanon to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories

2012-2013: Pole to Pole Vietnam — raised funds for the International Red Cross by running the length of Vietnam. Pat completed the 3,000-km run with Huy Mai, a Vietnamese runner.

2011: Trekked from the North Pole to the South Pole. Ran two marathons every day, for almost a year, over 20,000 kms through 14 countries and raised $100 million for the International Red Cross.