About Pat

Sporting

By Australian and international standards, Pat Farmer is considered one of the very elite in his sport of ultra marathon running.

As a young man in his early twenties, Pat was greatly inspired by the legendary Cliff Young.

Throughout his sporting career, Pat has set numerous world and Australian records for a number of ultra-marathon events. Pat has twice completed the Trans-America Footrace, achieving second-place in 1993 and has twice run across the Simpson Desert, setting world records both times.

In 1999, Pat became a national hero following his Centenary of Federation Run around Australia, which raised considerable funds for charity, created numerous Australian and world records and reached out to millions of Australians with a message of unity and nationhood.

The monumental Centenary of Federation Run started on 31 May 1999. Pat set out to break Ron Grant's record set in 1986, of running around mainland Australia in 217 days (over 13,000kms). Unlike Grant, Pat also set a goal to include Tasmania in a non-stop run of over 14,500kms. In December 1999, he finished in Centennial Park, Sydney, having taken 26 days off Grant's record and along the way setting a number of Australian records and a new world long run record of 191 days (totalling almost 15,000kms). Remarkably, Pat averaged over 80 kilometres per day – the equivalent of two Olympic marathons. During the entire 191 days of the run – he did not take a single rest day.

Pat was honoured for this incredible feat by the Prime Minister, John Howard, and community leaders across the nation. He endeared himself to all Australians by overcoming not only the amazing physical challenge, but his exceptional personal challenge of looking after his young family following the tragic death of his wife Lisa in the lead up to the event.

Pat has moved beyond just being an athlete, using his incredible sporting talent to create awareness for a number of charitable causes. Before joining politics in 2001 – Pat raised more than $3 million for various charities – including Diabetes Australia, Lifeline, Careflight and the New Children’s Hospital Westmead.

Pat continues to believe that one man can make a difference and since joining politics in 2001, he has continued to undertake a number of charitable runs and endurance events such as the annual Pollie Pedal.

In December 2006, Pat and Health and Ageing Minister, Tony Abbott, made an assault on Pat’s own 24 hour vertical climbing world record of 101,949 stairs in Sydney’s Centrepoint Tower. In the process the duo raised over $500,000 for the Millennium Foundation’s ovarian cancer research programme at Westmead Hospital in Sydney. This was the most money that Pat has raised for any charity in such a short timeframe.

Pat continues to inspire young people around the nation. His Australian Government role as Parliamentary Secretary for Education Science and Training sees him speaking nearly every week at numerous schools and community groups across Australia. Through his own sporting and personal achievements, Pat inspires students to believe in themselves and the pursuit of their own personal goals.

Major Sporting Achievements

2006

Pat (out of retirement) ran for 24 hours vertical climbing (both-up-and-down) at Sydney's Centrepoint Tower, totalling 91,207 steps (Health and Ageing Minister, Tony Abbott ran 85,667). The duo raised over $500,000 for the Millennium Foundation’s ovarian cancer research programme at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital. This is the most money that Pat has raised for any charity in this timeframe.

1999

Pat established the fastest around Australia long run record of 14,662km during his run to celebrate the Centenary of Federation, which commenced on 31 May 1999 and ended 191 days later. Pat averaged 80km per day – the equivalent of running two Olympic marathons each day – without taking a single rest day in between. During this run, Pat bettered Ron Grant’s long standing Australian record (set in 1986) of 13,383km in 174 days – by 43 days.
Pat set a new record for running from Brisbane to the Northern Territory (2,535.4km in 33 days), bettering the previous record by eight days.
Pat established a new record for running from the Queensland border (Tweed Heads) to the Northern Territory border (2,649km).
Pat set a new record for running from Brisbane to Darwin (3,955.2km in 51 days), bettering the previous record by nine days.
Pat set a new Northern Territory continuous run record (2,201km in 29 days), bettering the previous record by five days.
Pat set a new world record for the long tropics run (6,307km in 83 days), bettering the previous record by 16 days.
Pat set a new Darwin to Perth record (4,217km in 53 days), bettering the previous record by 16 days.
Pat set a new record for running from Brisbane to Perth (8,204.7km in 105 days), bettering the previous record by 24 days.
Pat set a new world record in the 10,000km of 129 days, bettering the previous record by 33 days.
Pat set a new record for the Western Australia border to border run (4,952km in 62 days), bettering the previous record by 33 days.

1998

Pat was the first person to run 24 hours (vertically climbing, both-up-and-down) at Sydney's AMP Tower – setting a world record 101,939 steps.

1995

Pat finished fourth in the Trans America Road Race despite running 50 days with a stress fracture in his leg and after leading at the halfway-mark by two days.

1993

An unknown Pat Farmer secured second place in his first attempt at the gruelling Trans America Road Race.

Other sporting achievements

Pat is twice world record holder for crossing the Simpson Desert.
Pat is ranked third in the world for 1,000 miles on a track.
Pat ran 2,500km around NSW for charity in 42 consecutive days.