Victoria Taylor will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for running the length of New Zealand by running 2100km in 18 days.
A Wānaka mother is setting out to break a Guinness World Record by running the length of New Zealand in just 18 days – and she reckons she’s got it covered after countless kilometres of pushing her toddler in a pram.
Victoria Taylor, 27, already ran the length of the land of the long white cloud ten years ago and she did it in 34 days.
But this time around she wants to break the record set earlier this year by Kaiapoi-based artist Emma Timmis who ran it in 21 days, beating the previous record by 14 days.
The run is not for the faint-hearted – 2100km all the way from Cape Reinga to Bluff.
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Taylor is confident she can do it, despite her previous attempt falling well short of the current world record.
“Well, I’ve got a two-and-a-half-year-old son, and I’ve been pushing him in the pram for my training runs. That’s 25kg and I bounced back.”
Taylor hopes to run the 2100km in under 18 days and 9 hours to break Siggy Bauer’s 1975 record. He currently holds the men’s world record.
She says she is fitter now, and has something bigger motivating her this time around.
Kavinda Herath/Stuff
The current record is held by Kaiapoi-based artist Emma Timmis who ran the mammoth distance in 21 days.
She will be raising money for mental health awareness, in particular suicide in New Zealand.
Her former boyfriend Wiremu Nuku became a statistic four years ago.
“It is absolutely heartbreaking, I can’t even put it into words. He was the nicest guy I ever met and if the nicest guy had done this, then something needs to be done.”
Taylor’s upbringing brought about its own challenges, as did being a single mum to her son, Brax.
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Victoria Taylor and her son Brax have been in training together.
“I have had a lot of challenges, but I guess running has given me a lot in my life, and I want to give back through running.
“Everyone is going through stuff, but to find a better way [to deal with it] through exercise, rather than negative things, rather than addiction.”
She has been approved to have an attempt at breaking the record for “Fastest crossing of New Zealand on foot – female”.
To be successful Taylor will have to run between 110km and 130km each day, the equivalent of three marathons a day.
To train she has been running just 30km, with the added weight of Brax in his pram.
“He’s coming along, he will be my support crew, most likely asleep for a lot of it.”
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Taylor says exercise is a healthy way of dealing with life’s challenges rather than turning to negative things such as addiction.
Taylor has represented New Zealand and Canada in Ironman and Half Ironman events.
She will start her run on September 1 at 4am on the dot, with a support crew who will travel in a motorhome if she raises enough money to afford it. She needs around $4000 more to get there in time for her target start date.
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