Seeing the world on foot

Press, 16 June 1983, Page 1

Seeing the world on foot

Feats of endurance figure prominently in the “Guinness Book of Records” and an Australian, Peter Parcell, has started his quest to figure prominently in the pages of the world’s most authoritative “Who’s Who” of unusual accomplishments.

Mr Parcell, who is 32, aims to run round the world, 44,000 km, in under three years, a distance not matched by many motorvehicles.

Mr Parcell arrived in Christchurch yesterday and will begin the New Zealand stage of his journey to Auckland today.

The record attempt started on the Australian Gold Coast several months ago and will end on January 1, 1986, when he hopes to arrive at the steps of the Sydney Opera House after having run across the Nullabor Plain from Perth. Behind him will be the blisters and hardships of running through New Zealand, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, the United States in winter, Britain, Scandinavia, Russia, Europe, and Asia, the Indian sub-continent having to be crossed in the searing heat of summer. As with adventurers and explorers, it is the challenge

which has attracted Mr Parcell.

“It is really the marathon to end all marathons. It has never been done before. In fact, nothing like this has ever been attempted,” he said yesterday. , Sport and athletics have been a strong influence in Mr Parcell’s past. He was the Queensland cycling champion in his age-group for four years in the 1960 s before taking up marathon running.

Mr Parcell says the person who holds the endurance record ran about 8300 km before he broke down, and so his aim to

complete 44,000 km would eclipse the present record five-fold.

Planning for the run started two years ago and in training Mr Parcell logged 16,000 km. Sponsorship will pay for the run. When on the road, Mr Parcell likes to run about 400 km a week, which includes six days running and one day of rest, the equivalent of 10 marathons a week.

“I have a very high calorie intake and watch my diet closely. I eat only 12oz of red meat a week but have plenty of bananas, potatoes, vegetables, and

fish,” he said.

He consumes about 135,000 calories a week to sustain him during his rigorous running programme. Alcohol and cigarettes do not figure on his menu.

Mr Parcell will take about a month to run to Auckland as part of his New Zealand stage. During his “megamarathon” his wife, Wanda, and two children, Kirstienne, aged 11, and Koby, aged two, will accompany him in a back-up vehicle. Mrs Parcell is a former schoolteacher and will be in charge of the children’s education.