Jez has dubbed his journey as The Long Pathway and daily coverage will begin soon. But this excellent infographic helps put the challenge into perspective. He'll begin in the extreme north of New Zealand at Cape Reinga on the North Island. From there, he'll follow the entire length of the Te Araroa trail, eventually ending in Bluff at the southernmost point of the South Island. According to the infographic, Bragg intends to cover approximately 60-80 km (37-49 miles), consuming 10 liters of water and 6000 calories per day.
Of course, not all of this route can be done on foot, as obviously there are a few water crossings that the Brit will have to deal with. That includes the Cook Strait, which separates the two islands. But Jez won't simply hop a ferry when he comes to these water crossing, but will instead use a kayak to continue his southerly journey. All told, he expect to paddle approximately 345 km (214 miles) across the length of the expedition. He also estimates that about 285 km (177 miles) will be done on roads, while the remaining 2424 km (1506 miles) will be on trail.
What a great challenge through an amazingly beautiful country. I'll be thinking of Jez tonight when I go for my evening run, which will only be about 5 miles in length and barely scratch the surface of what he's about to attempt. It should be fun to follow along. Watch for more updates on this epic run starting next week.
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