British ultra runner Kevin Carr ran around the world in 621 days and broke the World Record at age 34, after covering 26,232 km (16.300 miles).
Kevin’s passion for running began at age 25 when he ran up a mountain to clear his head. After training and challenging himself for a few years, he set off for this experience of a lifetime at age 32.
On April 9, 2015, Kevin reached Haytor Dartmoor, the exact same spot that he’d left some 621 days earlier. Continually running Eastwards he ran coast to coast across four continents and one sub-continent, the equivalent of 622 full marathons, back-to-back.
Twice entering the Arctic region, running and camping in temperatures as low as -31 Celsius, he climbed the Andes Mountains some 12,000ft high and ran through Canyons facing scorching temperatures well over 50 degrees Celsius.
Along the way he had to avoid snakes, scorpions, wild dogs, wolves, bears and mountain lions.
“It’s an obsession, seeing how far you can take something. Running round the world is the ultimate distance – one loop – the ultimate endurance test.”
He ran across most of Europe, India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US, encountering hostility and extreme intrigue and friendliness.
Kevin ran unsupported, pushing all his gear in a cart. In the desert, where he had to carry extra water and food, the cart weighed more than his own body. During the trip he wore 16 pairs of shoes.
This extreme journey caused Kevin zero ‘overuse injuries.’
“… this wasn’t a lucky fluke but the result of years of running-specific-strength training, designed to strengthen not only muscles but tendons and ligaments also,” Kevin says, looking back on his adventure.
When he got back he had only 2 blisters, but he had lost 98.7% of the strength he had when he took off in 2013.
Kevin, who suffered from depression in the past, proved that mental illness doesn’t have to hold you back. Raising money for mental health charity SANE and the British Red Cross motivated him extra to keep on going on tough moments.
Image by Arek Socha
