Runner forgoes NZ record for getting car rides
A long-distance runner has relinquished his claim to have run the length of New Zealand in a record time after admitting he was driven for parts of the route.
When Perry Newburn, 64, arrived in the southern town of Bluff two weeks ago, he and his supporters said he’d run the 2100-kilometre journey in 18 days and eight hours, just beating a record set more than 40 years ago. However, in a Facebook post last week, the former Feilding man, who now lives in Napier, said after reflecting on his effort, he didn’t want to claim the record.
‘‘There were parts of the run where road/bridge conditions were totally unsafe to run and therefore I made the call to be driven through these parts –
‘‘There were parts of the run where road/ bridge conditions were totally unsafe to run and therefore I made the call to be driven through these parts ...’’ Perry Newburn
these decisions were my decisions,’’ he wrote.
Newburn said stormy conditions and sleep deprivation had also added to his problems toward the end of his run.
He said he’d succeeded in his main aim of raising money for an autism charity. Nearly 200 people had donated more than $7000.
In September, Newburn was the fourth man to finish a six-day endurance run in Adelaide, clocking up 573 kilometres. People who responded to Facebook post were generally supportive, writing that they appreciated his candour and his efforts for charity.