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Pat Farmer Will Direct 2001 Race Across Australia

May 1999

Riley said Farmer agreed this week to take on the task after he completes a major project of his own -- a 14,000 kilometre Run Around Australia lasting 200 days at 70 kilometres a day. He is being sponsored to promote the Australian centennial in 2001. Riley said he hopes the Trans Australia Run that Farmer will direct following his solo run will also be keyed to the Australian Centennial, starting if possible on Australia Day, Jan. 26, 2001.

The idea at this point is to hold a professional, rather than amateur, race, limited to 20 or 30 proven runners from all over the world. The daily mileage average will be 70 kilometres, instead of 60 kilometres, a considerably tougher standard to meet. Riley said the course will follow the coast of Australia, rather than cutting across outback of Western Australia as he did during his run across the country last year. This will give the event a higher profile and attract more attention.

The plan now is to bring the run home through all of the major cities along the south and eastern coast of Australia -- Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and finally Sydney. "Starting in January, we will be running through the hottest part of the Australian summer," Riley said. "That's another change from what we planned originally". Riley said participants will get basic aid provided during each stage of the race but they will be on their own at the end of the day, responsible for providing their own meals and lodging.

So far about half a dozen runners have expressed an interest, he said, "mostly the Trans Am people" from the races he organized across the U.S. in the early 1990s.

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