Trans-Australia run world record set to topple
Spurred on by his mother's battle with cancer, an ultra-endurance British athlete is on track to smash the world record for running across Australia.
William Goodge has a spring in his step as he nears Sydney, having crossed the country in 35 days, striding the equivalent of two and a half marathons per day.
That's four days quicker than the current record holder, Chris Turnbull, who completed the 3800km feat in 39 days in 2023.
"Everything's feeling really good," he told AAP from the Hume Highway outside the harbour city.
"The end really is in sight ... we've done the hard graft, and now it's a nice let's just say easy job downhill."
The 31-year-old is set to cross the finish line at Bondi Beach on Monday, making his massive run a new Guinness World Record.
Mr Goodge set out from Cottlesloe Beach in Perth on April 15, averaging more than 100km per day at about seven and a half minutes per kilometre.
"It's obviously been quite the journey ... we start before the sun comes up and finish when the sun's gone down," he said.
"I've seen every one of your famous animals, other than sharks and crocodiles, but unfortunately, a lot of them have been dead on the side of the road."
Throughout the run, Mr Goodge has raised money for the Cancer Council of Australia in honour of his mother Amanda, who passed away from cancer in 2018.
"She was the most special person in my life ... she passed away seven and a half years ago to cancer," he said.
Mr Goodge said he used his grief and the strength his mother showed while fighting the disease to motivate him to do something positive instead of "waving the white flag".
"She would be proud of everything I've done. She'd also be concerned," he said with a chuckle.
Although upbeat as he closed in on his goal, the punishing run has tested Mr Goodge.
"The first nine days trying to sort of acclimatise to what I was doing was a big challenge," he said.
"I wasn't sleeping at night and I had deep pain in my bones and things like hip flexors ... and mentally I was tossing and turning throughout the night, hallucinating a little bit, which isn't that fun."
Mr Goodge said he suffered multiple injuries as he crossed the country, including toenails falling off and one toe that's "been rotting for the past probably a week".
"Ironically, the knees have felt OK. They've been very solid," he said.
Mr Goodge, who celebrated his birthday on the Nullarbor Plain during the run, is also the fastest Brit to run across the US.
Runners are invited to run Mr Goodge's final 5km and 10km as he approaches Bondi Beach about 5pm.
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Australia's Jason Scrivener (69) is in a nine-way tie for 13th at one under after a steady round including just three birdies and one bogey. With AAP. Scotland's Connor Syme will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the DP World Tour's KLM Open in Amsterdam after a superb bogey-free 66. The 29-year-old holed a 40-foot eagle putt at the third on Saturday and added three birdies on his back nine, including at the final two holes, to overhaul Sweden's Joakim Lagergren (71) at the top. For the third day in succession the weather forced long delays to the event, with the course waterlogged in places during the morning as the final few players wrapped up a second round delayed by high winds. Syme navigated the conditions perfectly and admitted he was "buzzing" after his round. "Obviously a bonus to finish with a couple (of birdies) towards the end but overall really, really pleased," he added. 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The 29-year-old holed a 40-foot eagle putt at the third on Saturday and added three birdies on his back nine, including at the final two holes, to overhaul Sweden's Joakim Lagergren (71) at the top. For the third day in succession the weather forced long delays to the event, with the course waterlogged in places during the morning as the final few players wrapped up a second round delayed by high winds. Syme navigated the conditions perfectly and admitted he was "buzzing" after his round. "Obviously a bonus to finish with a couple (of birdies) towards the end but overall really, really pleased," he added. Compatriot Richie Ramsay (71) finished the round in a share of third place with Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia (73) and Italian Francesco Laporta (69), six shots off the lead and four behind Lagergren. "Obviously there's a bit of a gap at the moment for me and Joakim but with the weather tomorrow it can change so much, so quickly," Syme said. "I would love to do it, hopefully I can play my game tomorrow and I can do it. I'll just try to play one shot at a time and get that mindset from the start, and what will be will be." Australia's Jason Scrivener (69) is in a nine-way tie for 13th at one under after a steady round including just three birdies and one bogey. With AAP.
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Marc Leishman (71) is the leading Australian at four under and in joint 14th, with Cameron Smith (70) two under, Lucas Herbert (73) six over and Matt Jones (75) eight over. With AAP. Pursuing his first individual LIV Golf win, India's Anirban Lahiri has recorded a bogey-free second round at seven-under 64 to hold a two-shot lead in Virginia. A runner-up on the breakaway circuit four times, Lahiri sank seven birdies and made a 39-foot par putt on No.16 on Saturday, then finished strong with a par on No.18 after landing in the rough. On the last, he had to get up and down from a distance of more than 100 yards. "Yeah, those felt like birdies as well," Lahiri said of his impressive finish to the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. "I think the first 15 holes was about as solid as I could have played. I missed a few putts and I still made quite a lot of birdies. "Then 16, I was trying to hit like an in-between 9-iron and I tried to compress it a little bit too much, and everyone else saw what happened. It was nice to make that putt." Veterans Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell - who are also chasing their first individual LIV Golf win - are at nine under entering Sunday's final round, just two shots behind the leader. "It's always good to be close to the lead, have a chance on the last day," Watson said. "Looking forward to it. Looking forward to the challenge of this golf course ... You hit your driver good, you hit your irons in the right spots, you have a chance to play this golf course." RangeGoats GC captain Watson birdied the 17th and 18th, then closed his round with pars on the first and second en route to a six-under 65. Kaymer, who shared the first-round lead with Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau, shot a four-under 67. McDowell notched three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 to put himself in contention with a five-under 66. Joaquin Niemann, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top three in the individual standings, are tied for fifth at seven under, four shots off top spot. Marc Leishman (71) is the leading Australian at four under and in joint 14th, with Cameron Smith (70) two under, Lucas Herbert (73) six over and Matt Jones (75) eight over. With AAP. Pursuing his first individual LIV Golf win, India's Anirban Lahiri has recorded a bogey-free second round at seven-under 64 to hold a two-shot lead in Virginia. A runner-up on the breakaway circuit four times, Lahiri sank seven birdies and made a 39-foot par putt on No.16 on Saturday, then finished strong with a par on No.18 after landing in the rough. On the last, he had to get up and down from a distance of more than 100 yards. "Yeah, those felt like birdies as well," Lahiri said of his impressive finish to the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. "I think the first 15 holes was about as solid as I could have played. I missed a few putts and I still made quite a lot of birdies. "Then 16, I was trying to hit like an in-between 9-iron and I tried to compress it a little bit too much, and everyone else saw what happened. It was nice to make that putt." Veterans Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell - who are also chasing their first individual LIV Golf win - are at nine under entering Sunday's final round, just two shots behind the leader. "It's always good to be close to the lead, have a chance on the last day," Watson said. "Looking forward to it. Looking forward to the challenge of this golf course ... You hit your driver good, you hit your irons in the right spots, you have a chance to play this golf course." RangeGoats GC captain Watson birdied the 17th and 18th, then closed his round with pars on the first and second en route to a six-under 65. Kaymer, who shared the first-round lead with Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau, shot a four-under 67. McDowell notched three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 to put himself in contention with a five-under 66. Joaquin Niemann, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top three in the individual standings, are tied for fifth at seven under, four shots off top spot. Marc Leishman (71) is the leading Australian at four under and in joint 14th, with Cameron Smith (70) two under, Lucas Herbert (73) six over and Matt Jones (75) eight over. With AAP. Pursuing his first individual LIV Golf win, India's Anirban Lahiri has recorded a bogey-free second round at seven-under 64 to hold a two-shot lead in Virginia. A runner-up on the breakaway circuit four times, Lahiri sank seven birdies and made a 39-foot par putt on No.16 on Saturday, then finished strong with a par on No.18 after landing in the rough. On the last, he had to get up and down from a distance of more than 100 yards. "Yeah, those felt like birdies as well," Lahiri said of his impressive finish to the day at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. "I think the first 15 holes was about as solid as I could have played. I missed a few putts and I still made quite a lot of birdies. "Then 16, I was trying to hit like an in-between 9-iron and I tried to compress it a little bit too much, and everyone else saw what happened. It was nice to make that putt." Veterans Bubba Watson, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell - who are also chasing their first individual LIV Golf win - are at nine under entering Sunday's final round, just two shots behind the leader. "It's always good to be close to the lead, have a chance on the last day," Watson said. "Looking forward to it. Looking forward to the challenge of this golf course ... You hit your driver good, you hit your irons in the right spots, you have a chance to play this golf course." RangeGoats GC captain Watson birdied the 17th and 18th, then closed his round with pars on the first and second en route to a six-under 65. Kaymer, who shared the first-round lead with Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau, shot a four-under 67. McDowell notched three straight birdies on Nos. 15-17 to put himself in contention with a five-under 66. Joaquin Niemann, DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, the top three in the individual standings, are tied for fifth at seven under, four shots off top spot. Marc Leishman (71) is the leading Australian at four under and in joint 14th, with Cameron Smith (70) two under, Lucas Herbert (73) six over and Matt Jones (75) eight over. With AAP.
