William Goodge says he beat the previous record by four days

A British ultra-endurance athlete says he has broken the world record for running across the width of Australia, after a gruelling 35-day journey.

William Goodge, 31, started the 3,800km (2,361-mile) run from Cottesloe Beach in Perth on 15 April, and finished on Monday afternoon at Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach, his father by his side.

Goodge’s team says he ran the equivalent of two-and-a-half marathons – about 100km – every day.

Originally from Bedfordshire in England, Goodge started running marathons after his mother, Amanda, died from cancer in 2018, with this journey raising money for cancer charities in the UK, US and Australia.

The record is yet to be verified by Guinness World Records, which certified Chris Turnbull’s record-breaking dash across the continent over 39 days in 2023.

The year before, Australian electrician Nedd Brockmann ran the same route in 47 days, raising millions for charity.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast about 24 hours after he had crossed the finish line, Goodge said “it’s the toughest thing I’ve ever done”.

Along the way Goodge ran through a dust storm, lost several toenails, and suffered from injuries, including rotting feet and bone pain, which sometimes caused him to hallucinate.

“It was full-on from start to finish,” he told the BBC, adding the first nine days were particularly hard.

Watch: William Goodge speaks about the toughest bit of his journey

The Nullabor Plain – a vast area of desert that crosses from Western Australia to South Australia – was also “unforgiving”, he said.

Surprisingly though, Goodge said he was “feeling very comfortable” now that the run was over.

Moments after crossing the finish line, Goodge placed a bunch of flowers on Bondi’s famous shoreline in memory of his late mother.

“She was the most special person in my life,” he told the Guardian Australia, adding, “she would be proud of everything I’ve done – she’d also be concerned”.

Goodge said thinking about how his mother battled cancer was crucial during his journey, and helped him overlook his own suffering.

“In the moments where it’s tough, I’ll think back to those times, I think about the woman she was, and how she handled herself, and how she supported me,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“I feel like she’s there with me a lot of the time.”

During the race, he says he saw almost all of Australia’s famous animals – though most were dead on the road – and much of its unique countryside.

“Goodge stands by his record keeping and asserts that he is taking every single step,” his agent told the Canadian Running magazine last week.

Goodge also claims to hold the record for the fastest British man to run across the US, crossing from Los Angeles to New York in 55 days.