10,000 Kilometers and a Cold, Wet Morning in Whiporie

Daily miles: 31.56 | Total miles: 6,241

My alarm rang at 6am, but the cold, wet world outside my sleeping bag convinced me to hit snooze—three times. By 6:30, I finally began organizing my gear from the comfort of my sleeping bag. I unzipped the rainfly, expecting everything to be soaked, and it was. Thankfully, a dry table a few feet away gave me a place to pack up the buggy. My tent, as expected, was soaking wet—despite a quick attempt to dry it out.

The air was crisp, the sky painted with soft pink clouds, and the sun peeked out just before 7am. Sarah, true to her word, opened the Whiporie General Store right on time, and I treated myself to a warm cappuccino in the morning sun. Sitting there, reflecting on the day ahead, I felt deeply grateful—this journey is not easy, but what an immense privilege it is to run around the world.

I started off with my jacket on, enjoying the chilly air and hilly terrain. After a mile and a half, I warmed up enough to settle into a comfortable rhythm. The sounds of frogs and birds accompanied me, and the road was peaceful with little traffic. The running conditions were just right—sunny, not too hot, and dry underfoot.

And then, a big moment: just a few miles into the run, I officially crossed the 10,000-kilometer mark. Another major milestone. No big crowd, no celebration—but I felt it. A quiet, powerful moment of pride.

There were no towns between Whiporie and Grafton, just a few scattered rest stops with campers. I kept moving steadily, stopping only for the essentials: eating, drinking, and peeing. At around 3pm, I arrived in Grafton and did my grocery run for today and tomorrow.

My hotel room was upstairs with no elevator, so I had to work out a solution for the buggy. After a longer-than-expected conversation with the manager, we found a spot for it in an office. Problem solved. I had my recovery shake, laid out my wet tent to dry on the balcony, showered, washed my hair, and felt like a new human again.

Now it’s time to eat, rest, and prepare for the next stretch. Thanks for following along.

Only 16,232 km to go. Let’s do it.

Dream Big Too, my friends.