Canberra, Jan 13 – An Australian woman has set a new world record for the longest run in a polar region after completing an ultramarathon in Antarctica.
Donna Urquhart on Friday crossed the finish line on a 1,312-kilometer run that started on December 15, reports Xinhua.
Urquhart ran up to 60 km each day in temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius in an attempt to set a new world record for the longest polar run ever completed, beating the previous record of 1,198 km over 19 days set by fellow Australian Pat Farmer.
“It’s a bit surreal to be honest,” she told the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
“I feel like I need to pinch myself and then I’ll wake up tomorrow and need to run again.”
The mother of one from Melbourne trained for the attempt by running in a refrigerated container to prepare for the Antarctic conditions.
Urquhart used the run to raise awareness and funds for young girls in sport and, as of Friday, had raised 75,000 Australian dollars (50,139 U.S. dollars).
According to her fundraising page, the attempt took place at Union Glacier Camp, which is the only private seasonally-occupied camp site in Antarctica and is south of Chile.
“I’m just really proud to show what females are capable of doing,” Urquhart said.
Urquhart will head back to Australia on Tuesday if conditions allow but told the AAP that she was already considering another ultramarathon attempt.
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