Australia's Pat Farmer took his last step in Srinagar, Kashmir, to finish his epic run across India with a final sprint of four kilometers today.
The Australian ultra-marathon legend embarked on his 65 day run on January 26, both India's Republic Day and Australia Day. When he took his step in Kanyakumari, the southern-most tip of India - where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal meet - he started the most ambitious public relation events between Australia and India and touched the lives of millions of people from one end of the country to the other.
"The Spirit of India Run is my way of making a difference. It is my way of proving that one man can make a difference. We can leave all the work to our politicians and diplomats, or we can go on and do the job ourselves," Farmer said.
"The run is about showing the power of a single individual and what we're all capable of doing, if we simply follow our dreams through with action," he added.
Farmer said the purpose of the run was three-fold.
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• - To strengthen relations between two great democracies, Australia and India
• - To raise funds for disadvantaged girls in India through the Nanhi Kali foundation
• - To inspire people, both in India and Australia, to follow their own dreams and make a difference as individuals.
The distance runner and former Australian Member of Parliament enjoyed support from both governments. The conception of the journey began with the Indian High Commissioner to Australia Navdeep Suri, who promised Farmer it would be one of the greatest runs of his life.
"My warmest compliments and a big hug to Pat Farmer for completing his epic Spirit of India Run from Kanyakumari to Kashmir," Suri said.
"He has set a new bar for human endurance, for the triumph of the human spirit, and of mind over body. Through his charm and dignity, through the sheer power of his example, Pat has endeared himself to millions of Indians," Suri added.
Suri also said that Farmer is a great ambassador for his country and has truly contributed to a personal and direct connection between India and Australia.
"We look forward to welcoming Pat and his awesome team back home," Suri added.
Throughout Farmer's journey he and his crew stayed with everyday Indians in their homes, on farms and in palaces, from one extreme to the other. He mixed with rich and poor, advocating the same common message - the message of unity.
To showcase the wonders of India he ran past numerous iconic sites such as the Taj Mahal and India Gate. Between it all was extreme heat and humidity, rain, snow and sleet.
While Farmer is a veteran and multiple-record holder for distance running - having completed a run from the North to South Pole, the span of Vietnam and a run across the Middle East - he said India has been one of the most challenging runs of his 35-year career.
