Northern Ireland and Scotland have been added to the world run route – My thoughts on the route ahead.
Hi all.
I have spent a huge amout of time updating the blog Route Page. It’s not perfect as I don’t have the technical skills but have persisted to get some kind of routing up.
My thoughts on the road ahead to Dublin are.
After finishing Australia in Darwin about 1,040km away I will fly to East Timor to begin running across Asia. This may take about 14 months.
From East Timor I will cross the border to Indonesia and island hop some 3,500km and continue on this western peninsula until I cross the equator. As the main peninsula leading to China and eventually Europe begins with Singapore which is above the equator I will stay on this western peninsula until I cross over the equator and then commute to Singapore at a more southern point.
The next sea crossing after Singapore will be at Calais, France.
From Singapore to China border is about 3,000km. I expect to be there around end Oct, ie: Dublin Marathon time when I will have one year exactly to finish this run.
It will be approaching winter when I arrive in the Peoples Republic. 5,000km I am figuring on 4 months but may take 5 depending on weather and other conditions. By this stage I should be comfortably on schedule for my finish needing about 1,000km per month.
Due to certain ‘ new circumstances ‘ and other plans which will be reserved for the book I have decided to revert back to my original Asian route. That is from China to Kazakhstan to Russia. These routes have not been totally decided upon but I am thinking about 4 months total for the latter two. From the Russian Ukraine border it will be about 2 months to Calais, France where I plan to take the ferry to Dover, England.
Now this is the big news. I had planned to run to Ireland from Dover to Wales and still may include off route Wales but I have decided for two reasons to run north to Scotland.
Reason one is I want to push this run over 50,000km as it was a bit short.
Reason two and this is big for me.
From Scotland my plan is to take the ferry to Larne in Northern Ireland.
There is nothing more I would love than to enter the island of Ireland on northern territory. In the past our two communities have had so many problems, to put it mildly. This is my very small way of making some kind of a bond, however small or insignificant that may seem to others, it’s important to me.
It would be nice to get off the ferry in Larne and run to Belfast and perhaps even meet the mayor there and then run over the border west and south perhaps towards Co. Donegal, Galway, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and other places in between. It is small things like these thoughts that keep me going over the endless highways of the world.
So there is my plan for the next 20,000km over the next 18 months set out to you on the night I set out to run the 30,000th kilometre of this world run. I hope you will be still there with me for the finish.
Please check out the route page, sorry for it’s untidiness! Thanks for your support. 
May 4th, 2013 at 10:32 am
Tony, It’s so refreshing to hear of places like Cork, Galway, Wexford etc. on this website. There’s a long way to go yet but it is so so great to have it on your horizon. It’s stupendous – this dream is on the way !
May 6th, 2013 at 10:38 am
Hi great to see everything is fine for you! have been away from blog but still thinking of you. What a great idea to come back home via Northern Ireland, indeed peaceful messages are always good to hear…
Should be in touch soon with my students… A +
Marie France
May 6th, 2013 at 5:18 pm
tony, the mention of places on this continent make the whole adventure seem even closer to home. well done. kevin
May 6th, 2013 at 10:20 pm
Tony – interesting what you say about the aboriginal people. Last time I was in Oz, I bought some wonderful paintings by Aboriginal artists. I love their natural exuberance and the sophisticated sense of colour and shape. Talented people – when they are encouraged.
PS: Have you read “Songlines” by Bruce Chatwin?
May 6th, 2013 at 10:45 pm
Great plans for the last leg of the route Tony
May 19th, 2013 at 10:55 am
Hi Lindie, yes I have but many years ago.. The whole issue with the aboriginal communities as you well know is not easy, its complicated. many problems, but we also seem to forget that the white settlers introduced many of those problems. . Alcohol, drugs, modern lifestyle, splitting up aboriginal families. Unfortunately on my route I dont have the time for the tours which I would love to do, my main aim is to run around the world. I find it hard to research what is probably expected of me and as always I rely on the information I get from the people I meet.From what I remember of Songlines every tribe in the Outback has their own unique songs which put together can be a map of sorts, depicting the areas for others to travel the huge vastness that is the Great Outback. It will be one of the first books I reread when this is all over, thanks for this comment.