Karel Sabbe on the Te Araroa trail. Photo: Instagram @karelsabbe
A Belgian ultrarunner has smashed the record for the fasted run of New Zealand's longest trail Te Araroa.
The 3000km trail spans the length of New Zealand, starting from Cape Reinga to Bluff, with Belgian ultrarunner Karel Sabbe completing it in 31 days, 19 hours, and 41 minutes. It beats the previous record by over 17.5 days.
Sabbe told Morning Report he ran an average of 96kms a day - that's over two marathons each day.
"It was a very adventurous trail and was so rewarding to spend so much time in such a beautiful country," he said.
However, the run didn't come with out its challenges.
"One moment you can be gently running on a trail and then suddenly it becomes like rough tramping," Sabbe said.
Te Araroa is a diverse trail, winding through high mountain passes, rivers, cities and towns.
"You have so many river crossings, many times that you have to run in streams. So, basically all the time your feet are wet," he said.
Sabbe had a crew of five people helping him along the run, however, an attack by two wild dogs left one of friends with a broken elbow 400km into the run.
The Belgium runner has hiked in many countries, previously having set several speed records for trails around the world, including currently holding the record for the Pacific Crest Trail in North America.
