Karel Sabbe had set his mind to another endurance record and, wouldn’t you know it, he’s done it again.
He is one of a select group of people to ever finish the notorious Barkley Marathons, has set the fastest known time on the Pacific Crest Trail, and has been honoured with a trail in his name.
His latest achievement? Crossing New Zealand from North to South – let it sink in that that covers 3,000 kilometres -- in just 31 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes. If that seems incredibly fast, it’s because it is. Sabbe crushed the record by a good two and a half weeks.
The Belgian ran what’s known as the Te Araroa trail. You know what other stat we’ve yet to drop on you? 90,000 metres of climbing. That’s more than ten times the height of Mount Everest, or 600 times the height of the South Tower in Brussels, Belgium’s tallest monument!
Not bad, especially not for a 35-year-old dentist from near Ghent in the province of East Flanders. His journey was not without peril, as Sabbe and his crew were attacked by two wild dogs. Truly a wild achievement.
We can’t wait to see what Karel Sabbe does next, though we’re sure we won’t have to wait long.
