Aussie Runners Set to Break ‘Grand Slam’ Records in Antarctica to Support Diabetes Research

14 November 2012, 10:24AM
Femme

Five Australian runners will leave for Antarctica this month in a bid to become the first team in history to successfully complete the 4 Deserts, the world's leading endurance footrace series, in a calendar year.

Five Australian runners will leave for Antarctica this month in a bid to become the first team in history to successfully complete the 4 Deserts, the world's leading endurance footrace series, in a calendar year.

The team, which includes amateur runner Greg Donovan, his son Matthew Donovan, 61-year-old Ron Schwebel, Jess Baker and type 1 diabetic Roger Hanney, will run 250 kilometres in seven days across the Antarctic wilderness – the equivalent of a marathon each day.

If successful they will become the first team in the world to achieve the 4 Deserts ‘Grand Slam’, having already completed ultramarathons in the Atacama Desert in Chile, the Gobi Desert in China and the Sahara Desert in Egypt this year.

Known as Born To Run, the extraordinary mission was started by Greg Donovan to raise funds for type 1 diabetes research after his own son, Stephen, was diagnosed with the potentially fatal type 1 juvenile diabetes at age 14.

“More than 130,000 Australians are living with type 1 diabetes, with six new cases diagnosed every day, so I wanted to do something big to support the search for a cure,” said Donovan.

“I’m not a medical researcher, but what I can do is run long distances and together with my son Matt, Ron, Jess and Roger, we are hoping to do what no running team has ever done before. It’s going to be a physically gruelling journey, but in every step we live our foundation motto of fitness for fighting diabetes.”

The Born To Run team will embark on their race across 10 locations in Antarctica, dubbed ‘The Last Desert’, on 22 November, joining an expected field of 57 runners representing 27 countries. Temperatures on the course could reach as low as -20°C.

Only 11 runners have achieved the 4 Deserts ‘Grand Slam’ to date and never before has a team successfully completed the series, named by TIME Magazine as one of the ‘Top 10 Endurance Competitions’ alongside the Tour de France and Dakar Rally.

If they successfully cross the finish line in Antarctica, the Born To Run team will also collect records for the youngest (Matthew) and oldest (Ron) runner to complete the ‘Grand Slam’, as well as become the first father and son duo (Greg and Matthew) and first couple (Roger and Jess) to achieve the feat.

The team are also not stopping at four deserts, having pledged to race across five deserts on five continents to raise money for type 1 diabetes research.

Donovan recently launched the Born To Run Foundation and a major new endurance running event, the Big Red Run, to be in held in Australia’s Simpson Desert in July 2013 to raise funds for type 1 diabetes research.

Based out of Birdsville from 8-13 July, the Big Red Run will give runners and walkers the chance to tackle the iconic red sands and parallel sand dunes of one of the world’s most remote deserts, participating in either the Big Red Run, a 250km six-day stage race, the Born to Run 100km or the Big Red Dash 42km.

Coinciding with National Diabetes Week, the Big Red Run will become the major annual fundraiser of the Born To Run Foundation, with all money raised going to type 1 diabetes research projects.

To make a donation to the Born To Run Foundation, register to compete in the Big Red Run or for more information visit: www.borntorun.com.au

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