Blisters in the sun for 1000km man

A double-dose of cancer in his family has motivated a former Nelsonian to run the 1000km length of the South Island.

Powered by whitebait fritters and the support of his wife, Parrish Jason Evans, completed his final 30km push to Nelson’s Church Steps at 10am on Wednesday.

Starting at Bluff on November 19, Evans headed up through Lumsden to Queenstown, the Crown Range and across to Haast on the West Coast.

Once at Westport, he ran through the Buller Gorge to Murchison before heading north to the finish at Nelson.

Running between 60km and 75km a day and beginning at 4.30am each morning, Parrish completed the journey in 18 days.

He had previously biked the length of the South Island two years ago. However, two cancerrelated setbacks within his immediate family prompted him to attempt a second trip.

His wife Robyn had undergone treatment for a growth on her kidney earlier in the year. Not long after, Evans’ son Liam was receiving chemotherapy for testicular cancer. Both have since recovered. Contending with heavy vehicles, burnt lips and aching muscles, Evans said the run had been a mental test more than anything, especially when ascending the Crown Range, near Wanaka or enduring searing heat at Kohatu, 50km south of Nelson.

‘‘Even coming from Australia, that felt like I was running on the surface of the sun,’’ he said.

At one point Evan’s left thigh ‘‘blew out’’ on him, resulting in an ‘‘8 out of 10’’ pain level. However, the cause kept him putting one blistered foot in front of the other.

‘‘I always tried to keep going and break it down into a ratio of 10 minutes at a steady rate then walk for one minute - it ended up being 4:1 later on.’’

As Evans had done during his family’s treatment, Robyn was by her husband’s side the whole way as sole support crew in a car she borrowed from her sister.

‘‘He’s a hero to me,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s really quite emotional for me but I could not be more proud of him.’’

Finishing in Nelson held special significance for the 49-yearold emergency department nurse from Australia’s Gold Coast, having lived in Nelson until the age of 13.

Evans managed to raise $2000, but hoped to continue raising money for cancer research. Anyone interested can email robyn_ ngaere@hotmail.com.