January - 2016

Day 5: Chasing Pat

Kochi to Engandiyoor, 80.3km There’s more to this journey than just running. If that was all there was, our crew would simply hang in the air-conditioned vehicles – kindly provided by Mahindra - eating samosas while watching Pat’s shoes slowly wear out against the pavement. But our goal, which was conceived long before the first step was taken, was to showcase India in all its beauty. As Pat put it: “This isn’t the Pat Farmer Run, this is the Spirit of India Run”. (Although,

Day 2: School Spirit

Poovar to Varkala Pat called today one of the most difficult days of his life. The humidity reached up to 88 per cent and the temperature remained at a steady 36 degrees. Both the doctor and the crew were on standby, and it became particularly concerning once Pat stopped sweating. A lack of perspiration is indicative of severe dehydration. Yet, Pat pushed on; we had a school to go to by 3pm and thousands of school children were waiting to greet us. We finally made it to Atti

Day 1: The first step

Kanyakumari to Poovar, 67km Today was the official launch of the Spirit of India Run. It was also Australia Day and India Republic Day. Thousands of people gathered in Kanyakumari – the southern tip of India, where the three seas met and the sacred site where Gandhi’s ashes were kept – to see Pat Farmer off. Pat received a call from the Governor General Peter Cosgrove before the run. Mr Cosgrove told him he was a wonderful asset to both countries and asked him to carry on the