Pat Farmer Sets Australian Records

Crossing over the Northern Territory Border on July 20 at 2.55 pm in a record 31 days, 8 hours and 55 mins, over 2535.4 kms, Farmer said he felt elated and relieved at his achievement. In 1983, Ron Grant ran the same run from Brisbane to Camooweal (13kms before the Northern Territory border) in 39 days and 2456kms.

Farmer's newly established Queensland Long Run record commenced from the Queensland border town of Tweed Heads on 17 June.He ran to the official Northern Territory border, (exactly 13kms west of Camooweal) in 33 days 4 hours and 25 mins over 2649 kms.

Because Farmer started at the Queensland border and not in Brisbane, he has added an extra 126.6kms to the previous record set by Ron Grant. Before Pat commenced at the Queensland Border, he had already run an exhausting 19 days - an average of two marathons a day!

In total, Pat has clocked up nearly 4000kms over 51 days since leaving Canberra on 31 May 1999, where he set off on a history making run around Australia for the Centenary of Federation.

Farmer said: "It is the people of this country that have given me the drive and determination to make this new record and smash all previous records on this significant run. I am doing this for all Australians to thank them for their belief in me and their support of the reason I am doing this run - the Centenary of Federation. I have been overwhelmed by the spirit of Australians over the last two months who have been right behind me all the way. But, what I was really pleased about when I broke this record is the cold NT Stubbie that a local had waiting for me - after all that running, it tasted bloody good!"

This is the first of 13 records Farmer hopes to break on his run around Australia to take the message of Federation to all Australians he meets en route. The next anticipated record to be broken is the 'Brisbane to Darwin World Record'. If he arrives as planned on Monday 9 August 1999 he will have broken it by 9 days -- taking 51 days.

For up to date information and Pat's personal Highway Diaries visit the official Pat Farmer website at http://www.patfarmer.com A complete itinerary, biography and fun facts about Pat and this extraordinary journey are also on the site.

Farmer plans to finish his run Jan. 1, 2000, in Centennial Park, Sydney, the place where the Commonwealth of Australia was born in 1901. The Pat Farmer Centenary of Federation Run is sponsored by the National Council for the Centenary of Federation, GIO Australia and the Nine Network, with the support of Dick Smith Electronics, Woolmark, Rotary, and Chrysler.

Media contact @ Avviso PR, Diana Shearin or Olivia Richardson on (02) 9363 0714 or 0416 114 584 and 0411 544 498. Email: - dish@avviso.com.au. for interviews with Pat Farmer and/or his crew, previous world record holder, Ron Grant, or for photographs and itinerary