Latest news with #NeddBrockmann
News.com.au
03-06-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Pom smashes iconic Aus record but tracking furore rears ugly head
Earlier this week, English runner William Goodge not only broke the record for the fastest time to run across Australia — he smashed it. The 31-year-old beat Australian Chris Turnbull's previous record by a staggering four days, as he ran from Cottesloe Beach in Perth to Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach in just 35 days. He remarkably completed the 3,952 kilometre journey from west to east 12 days faster than notable Australian Nedd Brockmann did three years ago with roughly 500 people waiting to greet him at the finish line.  Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Goodge, who was once a model and semi-professional rugby player, spent 15 hours a day pounding pavement and ran roughly 110km per day on average to break the record. All the while, his more than 250,000 Instagram followers came along for the journey as they scrolled on their phones. The numbers are simply mind-blowing. It is little wonder the Englishman told he has 'been pretty horizontal' in the days since he completed his epic journey. Officially the fastest human to run across Australia. William Goodge. Congratulations to Will, well done to his team, and thank you to everyone that showed up to support the finish. â�¤ï¸�🇦🇰ðŸ�† — Represent (@representclo) May 19, 2025 But Goodge's success is not being widely celebrated among the ultra-running community. Running such vast distances is largely reliant on self-reporting via the data collected on a GPS watch, and some have accused Goodge of fudging his numbers. Fellow English runner William Cockerell voiced concerns about Goodge's heart rate data when he completed his run across the United States of America two years ago. Goodge ran from Huntington Beach in California to New York in 55 days, making him the fastest Englishman to ever do so. He was 13 days shy of American Pete Kostelnick's record, but Cockerell believed Goodge's heart rate was too low for the extreme distances he was running. Cockerell even went to America to follow Goodge during his run, trying to catch him swapping his official GPS watch with different runners and having a rest. The pair then clashed on the side of a road, which made for a fiery YouTube video. Goodge passionately denies the allegations, simply saying 'we had a tracker on, it was on me at all times' after his Australian record. 'People could come cheer me on or come for a run sometimes,' he added. The accusations come not just from Cockerell, however. Fellow British runner Robert Pope, who grew a massive beard in 2016 and recreated Forrest Gump's run, told British newspaper The Times last month that he doubted Goodge, saying his 'heart rate doesn't make sense'. The ABC reported that suspicions were heightened by Strava data on day two of Goodge's run across Australia when followers noticed that he had covered 400 metres in just 23 seconds - 20 seconds faster than South African Wayde van Niekerk's world record set at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Canadian Running Magazine also published that they had picked up that Goodge's data said he ran at faster than 80km/h on occasions. The anomalies could simply have been transmission errors as he ran through remote areas. While the heart rate concerns could be explained by him running slowly, or the fact often he ran with a face covering may helped. Regardless, Goodge has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. 'I've done everything I've ever said I've done,' Goodge told the Australian Financial Review (AFR) before he set off from Perth. 'But I appreciate that there is a higher burden of proof when you say you're going for an actual record.' With his feet up after the run, Goodge instead chose to focus on the positives. His efforts have raised more than $20,000 for the Cancer Council of Australia as well as thousands of dollars for UK charity Macmillan Cancer Support and the American Cancer Society. Goodge lost his mother from non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2018, and her memory was well and truly on his mind as he made his away across Australia. He lay flowers for her when he arrived at Bondi Beach, and the inspiration for his journey was a family holiday as a primary school aged child. 'I've always loved the country. I came for the first time when I was 11 and went all over the place. After that trip, I'd always bug my parents to move,' Goodge said of Australia. 'I wanted to grow up like an Aussie kid outdoors, everything seems super positive and obviously the weather is pretty good here compared to the UK. 'When I'm intrigued by a place, my way of going and looking at it is running across it or doing a big run within it. So, it seemed like a natural next step and one that I really wanted to do.' Family was also physically part of the whole journey as his father was part of the five member crew that supported Goodge in almost any way possible. 'The only things I do for myself are run every step and wipe my own ass,' he said with a laugh. 'They're literally helping with everything from the moment I wake up to when I go to bed.' Their support was essential particularly in the early stages, with the opening stanza out of Perth and dodging road trains and wildlife across the Nullabor proving most challenging. 'The first nine days were kind of like a revolving nightmare that I couldn't get out of,' Goodge said. 'I couldn't sleep at night because I was in so much pain. 'Obviously when you're not sleeping a lot, and you're going out and pushing hard again, it's relentless and it takes your head into some strange places.' Helping him as well was the support of new-found friends Brockmann and fellow Brit Russell Cook, who boasts 1.2 million Instagram followers under the moniker 'Hardest Geezer' after he ran from the southern most point of Africa to the northern most point. 'Nedd Brockmann is a friend of mine. We'd spoke beforehand and we chatted along the way,' Goodge said. 'It's quite hard to find similar people to yourself when you do cross country, literally across a country, not the traditional way.' Brockmann was one of the first people to comment on Goodge's Instagram post announcing he had broken the record, writing 'incredible my man'. 'You deserve it all mate. What a feat of human endurance, thanks for the daily inspiration and reminding us all we can always do more!! King Goodge!' he continued. Australian comedians Matt Ford and Jack Steele from The Inspired Unemployed also leant a hand by sending Goodge and his team some of their Better Beers for the celebrations. Goodge did not shy away from having a beer and a cigarette across the journey for his mental health and as he needed to consume roughly 7000 calories a day to fuel his body. He sometimes took those down moments as a chance to take aim at his vocal critics on social media, however. 'Keep talking motherf******, keep adding fuel to the fire and I'll make it even more unbelievable,' he wrote in one Instagram post. Another Instagram story was captioned: 'And from all of us at the record down under team, to the nay sayers we sincerely say f*** you.' Goodge insists his main motivation is not fighting his opponents, however. He says he will keep taking on these challenges, with the Berlin and New York marathons, as well as a project in Iceland, in his sights for the remainder of the year, because the finish line feeling is like no other. 'It's an unbelievable feeling because you've been out there for more than a month. Especially when you're in the middle of it, you think it's never going to end,' Goodge said. 'It's definitely a big amount of relief and gratitude to those who helped me. That feeling of crossing the line is like no other I can imagine. 'That's the real reason I keep going back to these things. 'It can only be attained through a huge and physical mental output.'
Time Out
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Six of Sydney's favourite personalities have shared their secret spots for a perfect day
When a friend visits Sydney from out of town, chances are you don't rush to tell them about how good it is to get a picture in front of the ferries at Circular Quay, or splash in the waves at Bondi Beach. Sydney's icons are famous enough – and it's our hidden gems, the places that Sydneysiders carve out time for outside of our own 9-5, that are really worth recommending. With that in mind, we got top picks from some of Sydney's favourite people. First up: the man behind Sydney's fastest mullet. Electrician turned ultramarathon runner Nedd Brockmann, who's lived in Randwick for the past four years, has shared his top spots to run, recover and refuel in the Harbour City. FYI, over at you can now book a place on a Brockmann-approved running tour around the CBD, then schedule a recovery session at Surry Hills bathhouse Capybara before booking in for dinner at one of the athlete's favourite restaurants in the city, Luke Mangan's Luc San in Potts Point. Olympian Jess Fox 's top Sydney itinerary is also active. Jess's perfect day starts with kayaking at dawn on Sydney Harbour, flying across the Jamieson Valley with Scenic World 's Beyond Skyway experience, then heading to Theo's Rooftop in her local area, Penrith, for sunset drinks. Conveniently, her itinerary is also, available to book via the site. Turns out Aria-winning artist Budjerah is an adventurous guy, because he recommends a sunrise balloon ride over Camden, followed by a surfing session at URBNSURF, rounded out with the incredible BridgeClimb Burrawa Aboriginal Climb experience. Content kings The Inspired Unemployed are high-energy guys – they recommend having a "mystery picnic" in the Royal Botanic Gardens, jet boating on Sydney Harbour with Oz Jet Boating and doing paddle board yoga with Manly-based yoga studio Flow mOcean. Podcaster, writer and comedy queen Lucinda Price (Froomes) is all about balance – with recommendations spanning from a snorkelling session at Shelly Beach to winding up at the Ace Hotel for dinner and drinks (with a backstage tour of Sydney Opera House thrown in the mix for a bit of culture). Finally, one of our city's most beloved chefs: the mighty Dan Hong (Mr Wong, MuMu, Queen Chow) has put together a flavour-led itinerary that will take Sydneysiders on a food tour of Chinatown and to an immersive oyster-tasting experience on the Hawkesbury. Minister for Tourism Steve Kamper says he agrees Sydney needs to do a better job of highlighting its many hidden gems, quoting Time Out's recent global round-up, which saw Sydney rank as the fifth-best city in the world for culture: 'Sydney was just ranked as one of Time Out's top five global cities for culture, but when you ask Australians about Sydney they'll say 'I've already seen the Harbour Bridge'. What is clear in the research is that our icons alone are not enough to get people to visit and revisit Sydney. We need to do a better job at showcasing all our city has to offer, we need to be more than our icons.' At Time Out Sydney, we make it our mission to shine a light on Sydney's best bits on a daily basis, so we're big fans of this approach. And .
The Advertiser
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Scott ran from Newcastle to Singleton and back, raising $25k. Now he has an even bigger goal
Inspired by the likes of Nedd Brockmann, Novocastrian Scott Hingston will run from Melbourne to Newcastle next month, raising money for the Mark Hughes Foundation. The Merewether-based personal trainer is poised to depart Melbourne Storm's home ground on June 15, and venture through regional Victoria and NSW, before arriving at McDonald Jones Stadium ahead of the Knights' home game against the Raiders on June 27. For the 42-year-old, of Adamstown, the 1100-kilometre run is about raising money and awareness for brain cancer, but also inspiring the next generation. Two years ago, Hingston ran from Merewether to Singleton and back to raise money for the Hunter Valley bus crash appeal. That 24-hour journey raised $25,000, but it also left Hingston with a desire to do more. "When I got back from Singo, I felt like I could still do more," Hingston said. "I've done heaps of half-marathons and marathons, but I'm just more motivated to do this sort of stuff. "Especially working as a coach and a PT, I invest so much time into other people, where I find this is a challenge for myself. "It also encourages - I've got a lot of young kids I coach, who have probably got potential to go and represent their country at their chosen sport, and I think it's good for them to watch us go and do things like this. "What they thought was probably not possible, they can actually do as well." Hingston's 12-day run, which concludes in the NRL's Beanies for Brain Cancer Round, will traverse country towns like Albury, Wagga, Young, Cowra and Lithgow. He will pass through the Blue Mountains into Sydney and up the coast via the Northern Beaches and Central Coast. He will have a support crew following him in a motorhome, and other runners will join him for short sections along the way. Some former NRL players are expected to be among the participants. "I'll be doing an average of about 86km a day, for 12 days," Hingston said. "Every town we're going to is probably about 22km away from each other. So I'll have about a 20 or 30-minute break at each town, and we're hoping to get the community involved at each town. Some more so than others. We're looking to get some accommodation in the towns as well, but we'll be trying to get the local communities involved as much as possible." All going well, the last day of the journey will be about 30km from Swansea to the stadium, when it's expected a larger contingent or runners would join in. "No planned rest day, it's straight through," Hingston said. "Ideally I'd like to start at 5.15 [am] each morning and finish about 4 [pm], give or take. I think the longest day we have is about 98kms." Hingston, whose training business is based out of the Merewether Greens' gym at Townson Oval, hopes to raise $100,000 for the Mark Hughes Foundation. "Mark has done a lot up here in Newcastle," Hingston said. "At the Greens, we have a girl at our club who got diagnosed with brain cancer about two years ago. But it just seemed to have impacted a lot of people. "It's been amazing how many people, since I started this, who have reached out and said my brother has brain cancer, my mum or someone close they know. "If we can create some more funds and awareness of people who are going through it, it can only be a good thing. I lost my cousin to cancer when she was 35. It wasn't brain cancer, but she literally had it for 12 months and then we lost her after that." Hingston has been training for months, mostly around Newcastle Harbour. But he reckons the hardest part of the campaign - to date - was actually committing to it. "I just needed something to work towards. It gets you off the drink, you eat better, you sleep better. I'm probably the fittest in my life right now," he said. "I remember writing a text message to 'Hughesy' with the initial idea. I deleted it a few times and wrote it again, and then finally bit the bullet and thought, 'Bugger it, I'm going to do this'. "Once I had that set in stone, my training just took off from there. "I've been trying to average around 150km a week for the last 10 months. "It's gotten bigger the last six months, but ... it's been very repetitive." Long-distance running is growing in popularity, especially in the social-media age. Aussie Nedd Brockmann has become a well-known identity after running from Perth to Sydney, a route Englishman William Goodge also completed in a reported record time last week. "Ten, fifteen years ago, running a marathon was a massive deal. Now it's just another race," Hingston said. "There's no fear factor of actually finishing the run. If I run a marathon, I wouldn't be worried about trying to finish the 42km, it's more about what time am I going to run. It's not so much a bucket-list anymore. "Look at guys like Cliff Young, who was 61 when he ran that ultra [marathon] from Sydney to Melbourne. It makes people realise they can do a lot more than what they're capable of. "What Will did was amazing, but Will has got years and years of experience on Nedd. "Nedd just put his shoes on and started running, and I think Nedd has really encouraged and motivated a lot of people to do it, because he titled himself as a non-runner. He has become a runner because he started with that. "I've done 23 half-marathons, six marathons, I've done the City to Surf 10 times. I loved running the events, and just getting quicker times ... that was my motivation. "But my role as a coach, you often sit down and ask yourself, 'What am I doing to motivate and inspire everyone else?'." Donation toward's Hingston's appeal can be made via the Mark Hughes Foundation's website. Inspired by the likes of Nedd Brockmann, Novocastrian Scott Hingston will run from Melbourne to Newcastle next month, raising money for the Mark Hughes Foundation. The Merewether-based personal trainer is poised to depart Melbourne Storm's home ground on June 15, and venture through regional Victoria and NSW, before arriving at McDonald Jones Stadium ahead of the Knights' home game against the Raiders on June 27. For the 42-year-old, of Adamstown, the 1100-kilometre run is about raising money and awareness for brain cancer, but also inspiring the next generation. Two years ago, Hingston ran from Merewether to Singleton and back to raise money for the Hunter Valley bus crash appeal. That 24-hour journey raised $25,000, but it also left Hingston with a desire to do more. "When I got back from Singo, I felt like I could still do more," Hingston said. "I've done heaps of half-marathons and marathons, but I'm just more motivated to do this sort of stuff. "Especially working as a coach and a PT, I invest so much time into other people, where I find this is a challenge for myself. "It also encourages - I've got a lot of young kids I coach, who have probably got potential to go and represent their country at their chosen sport, and I think it's good for them to watch us go and do things like this. "What they thought was probably not possible, they can actually do as well." Hingston's 12-day run, which concludes in the NRL's Beanies for Brain Cancer Round, will traverse country towns like Albury, Wagga, Young, Cowra and Lithgow. He will pass through the Blue Mountains into Sydney and up the coast via the Northern Beaches and Central Coast. He will have a support crew following him in a motorhome, and other runners will join him for short sections along the way. Some former NRL players are expected to be among the participants. "I'll be doing an average of about 86km a day, for 12 days," Hingston said. "Every town we're going to is probably about 22km away from each other. So I'll have about a 20 or 30-minute break at each town, and we're hoping to get the community involved at each town. Some more so than others. We're looking to get some accommodation in the towns as well, but we'll be trying to get the local communities involved as much as possible." All going well, the last day of the journey will be about 30km from Swansea to the stadium, when it's expected a larger contingent or runners would join in. "No planned rest day, it's straight through," Hingston said. "Ideally I'd like to start at 5.15 [am] each morning and finish about 4 [pm], give or take. I think the longest day we have is about 98kms." Hingston, whose training business is based out of the Merewether Greens' gym at Townson Oval, hopes to raise $100,000 for the Mark Hughes Foundation. "Mark has done a lot up here in Newcastle," Hingston said. "At the Greens, we have a girl at our club who got diagnosed with brain cancer about two years ago. But it just seemed to have impacted a lot of people. "It's been amazing how many people, since I started this, who have reached out and said my brother has brain cancer, my mum or someone close they know. "If we can create some more funds and awareness of people who are going through it, it can only be a good thing. I lost my cousin to cancer when she was 35. It wasn't brain cancer, but she literally had it for 12 months and then we lost her after that." Hingston has been training for months, mostly around Newcastle Harbour. But he reckons the hardest part of the campaign - to date - was actually committing to it. "I just needed something to work towards. It gets you off the drink, you eat better, you sleep better. I'm probably the fittest in my life right now," he said. "I remember writing a text message to 'Hughesy' with the initial idea. I deleted it a few times and wrote it again, and then finally bit the bullet and thought, 'Bugger it, I'm going to do this'. "Once I had that set in stone, my training just took off from there. "I've been trying to average around 150km a week for the last 10 months. "It's gotten bigger the last six months, but ... it's been very repetitive." Long-distance running is growing in popularity, especially in the social-media age. Aussie Nedd Brockmann has become a well-known identity after running from Perth to Sydney, a route Englishman William Goodge also completed in a reported record time last week. "Ten, fifteen years ago, running a marathon was a massive deal. Now it's just another race," Hingston said. "There's no fear factor of actually finishing the run. If I run a marathon, I wouldn't be worried about trying to finish the 42km, it's more about what time am I going to run. It's not so much a bucket-list anymore. "Look at guys like Cliff Young, who was 61 when he ran that ultra [marathon] from Sydney to Melbourne. It makes people realise they can do a lot more than what they're capable of. "What Will did was amazing, but Will has got years and years of experience on Nedd. "Nedd just put his shoes on and started running, and I think Nedd has really encouraged and motivated a lot of people to do it, because he titled himself as a non-runner. He has become a runner because he started with that. "I've done 23 half-marathons, six marathons, I've done the City to Surf 10 times. I loved running the events, and just getting quicker times ... that was my motivation. "But my role as a coach, you often sit down and ask yourself, 'What am I doing to motivate and inspire everyone else?'." Donation toward's Hingston's appeal can be made via the Mark Hughes Foundation's website. Inspired by the likes of Nedd Brockmann, Novocastrian Scott Hingston will run from Melbourne to Newcastle next month, raising money for the Mark Hughes Foundation. The Merewether-based personal trainer is poised to depart Melbourne Storm's home ground on June 15, and venture through regional Victoria and NSW, before arriving at McDonald Jones Stadium ahead of the Knights' home game against the Raiders on June 27. For the 42-year-old, of Adamstown, the 1100-kilometre run is about raising money and awareness for brain cancer, but also inspiring the next generation. Two years ago, Hingston ran from Merewether to Singleton and back to raise money for the Hunter Valley bus crash appeal. That 24-hour journey raised $25,000, but it also left Hingston with a desire to do more. "When I got back from Singo, I felt like I could still do more," Hingston said. "I've done heaps of half-marathons and marathons, but I'm just more motivated to do this sort of stuff. "Especially working as a coach and a PT, I invest so much time into other people, where I find this is a challenge for myself. "It also encourages - I've got a lot of young kids I coach, who have probably got potential to go and represent their country at their chosen sport, and I think it's good for them to watch us go and do things like this. "What they thought was probably not possible, they can actually do as well." Hingston's 12-day run, which concludes in the NRL's Beanies for Brain Cancer Round, will traverse country towns like Albury, Wagga, Young, Cowra and Lithgow. He will pass through the Blue Mountains into Sydney and up the coast via the Northern Beaches and Central Coast. He will have a support crew following him in a motorhome, and other runners will join him for short sections along the way. Some former NRL players are expected to be among the participants. "I'll be doing an average of about 86km a day, for 12 days," Hingston said. "Every town we're going to is probably about 22km away from each other. So I'll have about a 20 or 30-minute break at each town, and we're hoping to get the community involved at each town. Some more so than others. We're looking to get some accommodation in the towns as well, but we'll be trying to get the local communities involved as much as possible." All going well, the last day of the journey will be about 30km from Swansea to the stadium, when it's expected a larger contingent or runners would join in. "No planned rest day, it's straight through," Hingston said. "Ideally I'd like to start at 5.15 [am] each morning and finish about 4 [pm], give or take. I think the longest day we have is about 98kms." Hingston, whose training business is based out of the Merewether Greens' gym at Townson Oval, hopes to raise $100,000 for the Mark Hughes Foundation. "Mark has done a lot up here in Newcastle," Hingston said. "At the Greens, we have a girl at our club who got diagnosed with brain cancer about two years ago. But it just seemed to have impacted a lot of people. "It's been amazing how many people, since I started this, who have reached out and said my brother has brain cancer, my mum or someone close they know. "If we can create some more funds and awareness of people who are going through it, it can only be a good thing. I lost my cousin to cancer when she was 35. It wasn't brain cancer, but she literally had it for 12 months and then we lost her after that." Hingston has been training for months, mostly around Newcastle Harbour. But he reckons the hardest part of the campaign - to date - was actually committing to it. "I just needed something to work towards. It gets you off the drink, you eat better, you sleep better. I'm probably the fittest in my life right now," he said. "I remember writing a text message to 'Hughesy' with the initial idea. I deleted it a few times and wrote it again, and then finally bit the bullet and thought, 'Bugger it, I'm going to do this'. "Once I had that set in stone, my training just took off from there. "I've been trying to average around 150km a week for the last 10 months. "It's gotten bigger the last six months, but ... it's been very repetitive." Long-distance running is growing in popularity, especially in the social-media age. Aussie Nedd Brockmann has become a well-known identity after running from Perth to Sydney, a route Englishman William Goodge also completed in a reported record time last week. "Ten, fifteen years ago, running a marathon was a massive deal. Now it's just another race," Hingston said. "There's no fear factor of actually finishing the run. If I run a marathon, I wouldn't be worried about trying to finish the 42km, it's more about what time am I going to run. It's not so much a bucket-list anymore. "Look at guys like Cliff Young, who was 61 when he ran that ultra [marathon] from Sydney to Melbourne. It makes people realise they can do a lot more than what they're capable of. "What Will did was amazing, but Will has got years and years of experience on Nedd. "Nedd just put his shoes on and started running, and I think Nedd has really encouraged and motivated a lot of people to do it, because he titled himself as a non-runner. He has become a runner because he started with that. "I've done 23 half-marathons, six marathons, I've done the City to Surf 10 times. I loved running the events, and just getting quicker times ... that was my motivation. "But my role as a coach, you often sit down and ask yourself, 'What am I doing to motivate and inspire everyone else?'." Donation toward's Hingston's appeal can be made via the Mark Hughes Foundation's website. Inspired by the likes of Nedd Brockmann, Novocastrian Scott Hingston will run from Melbourne to Newcastle next month, raising money for the Mark Hughes Foundation. The Merewether-based personal trainer is poised to depart Melbourne Storm's home ground on June 15, and venture through regional Victoria and NSW, before arriving at McDonald Jones Stadium ahead of the Knights' home game against the Raiders on June 27. For the 42-year-old, of Adamstown, the 1100-kilometre run is about raising money and awareness for brain cancer, but also inspiring the next generation. Two years ago, Hingston ran from Merewether to Singleton and back to raise money for the Hunter Valley bus crash appeal. That 24-hour journey raised $25,000, but it also left Hingston with a desire to do more. "When I got back from Singo, I felt like I could still do more," Hingston said. "I've done heaps of half-marathons and marathons, but I'm just more motivated to do this sort of stuff. "Especially working as a coach and a PT, I invest so much time into other people, where I find this is a challenge for myself. "It also encourages - I've got a lot of young kids I coach, who have probably got potential to go and represent their country at their chosen sport, and I think it's good for them to watch us go and do things like this. "What they thought was probably not possible, they can actually do as well." Hingston's 12-day run, which concludes in the NRL's Beanies for Brain Cancer Round, will traverse country towns like Albury, Wagga, Young, Cowra and Lithgow. He will pass through the Blue Mountains into Sydney and up the coast via the Northern Beaches and Central Coast. He will have a support crew following him in a motorhome, and other runners will join him for short sections along the way. Some former NRL players are expected to be among the participants. "I'll be doing an average of about 86km a day, for 12 days," Hingston said. "Every town we're going to is probably about 22km away from each other. So I'll have about a 20 or 30-minute break at each town, and we're hoping to get the community involved at each town. Some more so than others. We're looking to get some accommodation in the towns as well, but we'll be trying to get the local communities involved as much as possible." All going well, the last day of the journey will be about 30km from Swansea to the stadium, when it's expected a larger contingent or runners would join in. "No planned rest day, it's straight through," Hingston said. "Ideally I'd like to start at 5.15 [am] each morning and finish about 4 [pm], give or take. I think the longest day we have is about 98kms." Hingston, whose training business is based out of the Merewether Greens' gym at Townson Oval, hopes to raise $100,000 for the Mark Hughes Foundation. "Mark has done a lot up here in Newcastle," Hingston said. "At the Greens, we have a girl at our club who got diagnosed with brain cancer about two years ago. But it just seemed to have impacted a lot of people. "It's been amazing how many people, since I started this, who have reached out and said my brother has brain cancer, my mum or someone close they know. "If we can create some more funds and awareness of people who are going through it, it can only be a good thing. I lost my cousin to cancer when she was 35. It wasn't brain cancer, but she literally had it for 12 months and then we lost her after that." Hingston has been training for months, mostly around Newcastle Harbour. But he reckons the hardest part of the campaign - to date - was actually committing to it. "I just needed something to work towards. It gets you off the drink, you eat better, you sleep better. I'm probably the fittest in my life right now," he said. "I remember writing a text message to 'Hughesy' with the initial idea. I deleted it a few times and wrote it again, and then finally bit the bullet and thought, 'Bugger it, I'm going to do this'. "Once I had that set in stone, my training just took off from there. "I've been trying to average around 150km a week for the last 10 months. "It's gotten bigger the last six months, but ... it's been very repetitive." Long-distance running is growing in popularity, especially in the social-media age. Aussie Nedd Brockmann has become a well-known identity after running from Perth to Sydney, a route Englishman William Goodge also completed in a reported record time last week. "Ten, fifteen years ago, running a marathon was a massive deal. Now it's just another race," Hingston said. "There's no fear factor of actually finishing the run. If I run a marathon, I wouldn't be worried about trying to finish the 42km, it's more about what time am I going to run. It's not so much a bucket-list anymore. "Look at guys like Cliff Young, who was 61 when he ran that ultra [marathon] from Sydney to Melbourne. It makes people realise they can do a lot more than what they're capable of. "What Will did was amazing, but Will has got years and years of experience on Nedd. "Nedd just put his shoes on and started running, and I think Nedd has really encouraged and motivated a lot of people to do it, because he titled himself as a non-runner. He has become a runner because he started with that. "I've done 23 half-marathons, six marathons, I've done the City to Surf 10 times. I loved running the events, and just getting quicker times ... that was my motivation. "But my role as a coach, you often sit down and ask yourself, 'What am I doing to motivate and inspire everyone else?'." Donation toward's Hingston's appeal can be made via the Mark Hughes Foundation's website.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
British man claims record-breaking fastest run across Australia
A British ultra-endurance athlete says he has broken the world record for running across the width of Australia, after a gruelling 35-day journey. William Goodge, 31, started the 3,800km (2,361-mile) run from Cottesloe Beach in Perth on 15 April, and finished on Monday afternoon at Australia's iconic Bondi Beach, his father by his side. Goodge's team says he ran the equivalent of two-and-a-half marathons - about 100km - every day. Originally from Bedfordshire in England, Goodge started running marathons after his mother, Amanda, died from cancer in 2018, with this journey raising money for cancer charities in the UK, US and Australia. The record is yet to be verified by Guinness World Records, which certified Chris Turnbull's record-breaking dash across the continent over 39 days in 2023. The year before, Australian electrician Nedd Brockmann ran the same route in 47 days, raising millions for charity. Speaking to BBC Breakfast about 24 hours after he had crossed the finish line, Goodge said "it's the toughest thing I've ever done". Along the way Goodge ran through a dust storm, lost several toenails, and suffered from injuries, including rotting feet and bone pain, which sometimes caused him to hallucinate. "It was full-on from start to finish," he told the BBC, adding the first nine days were particularly hard. The Nullabor Plain - a vast area of desert that crosses from Western Australia to South Australia - was also "unforgiving", he said. Surprisingly though, Goodge said he was "feeling very comfortable" now that the run was over. Moments after crossing the finish line, Goodge placed a bunch of flowers on Bondi's famous shoreline in memory of his late mother. "She was the most special person in my life," he told the Guardian Australia, adding, "she would be proud of everything I've done - she'd also be concerned". Goodge said thinking about how his mother battled cancer was crucial during his journey, and helped him overlook his own suffering. "In the moments where it's tough, I'll think back to those times, I think about the woman she was, and how she handled herself, and how she supported me," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I feel like she's there with me a lot of the time." During the race, he says he saw almost all of Australia's famous animals - though most were dead on the road - and much of its unique countryside. Some in the running community however have questioned the accuracy of data tracking his speed and heart rate over the course of the run. "Goodge stands by his record keeping and asserts that he is taking every single step," his agent told the Canadian Running magazine last week. Goodge also claims to hold the record for the fastest British man to run across the US, crossing from Los Angeles to New York in 55 days. Get our flagship newsletter with all the headlines you need to start the day. Sign up here.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
British athlete smashes record for running width of Australia: ‘Like a revolving nightmare that wouldn't end'
A British ultra-endurance athlete has broken the world record for running across Australia in just over a month. William Goodge, 31, crossed the finish line in Sydney shortly after 4pm on Monday, completing the 3,800km run in 35 days at Bondi Beach. The athlete from Bedfordshire started his run in Perth on 15 April and covered about 100km every day, the equivalent of two and a half marathons. Mr Goodge shattered the world record held by Australian Chris Turnbull, who ran the width of the country in 2023 in 39 days. Mr Turnbull had taken the record from Nedd Brockmann. The Australian electrician had completed the same run the year before in 47 days. Mr Goodge said he started running marathons to raise money for cancer charities in the UK, US and Australia in honour of his mother, who died from cancer in 2018. The athlete was handed bouquets of flowers after he crossed the finish line, which he placed at the shoreline in memory of his late mother. "She was the most special person in my life," he told The Guardian. 'She would be proud of everything I've done – she'd also be concerned.' Mr Goodge's father joined him at the finish line where the athlete said the run was 'like a revolving nightmare that wouldn't end'. "The first nine days were extremely challenging,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald, 'but you have to tell your body and mind that even though you're struggling, you're going to persevere, and you're going to get through it.' Mr Goodge explained how the challenging run took a toll on his body as his toenails started falling off along the way, feet started rotting and the pain in his bones disrupted his sleep, causing him to hallucinate. 'So, in the moments where it's tough, I will think back to those times, I think about the woman she was and how she handled herself and how she supported me,' Mr Goodge told the Australian daily, adding that he felt 'like she's there with me a lot of the time'.
