Ultra-marathon athlete Pat Farmer to run across Bangladesh to raise funds for children

Australian ultra-marathon runner Pat Farmer AM, one of the greatest world record holders in the discipline, will be running across Bangladesh to raise funds for Unicef.

He will start running from Teknaf and run an average distance of 60-85 kilometres per day and more than 2,000 km in 30 days over Bangladesh, said a press release.

"Through this race, he will raise funds for Unicef Bangladesh and campaign for the rights of children and women in a healthy and beautiful environment and social values among people from different walks of life, which will be highlighted in various Australian media," the release added.

"Unicef will raise funds for Bangladesh through their own corporate channels during this event. In 2020, Unicef Bangladesh plans to provide adequate safe drinking water for 4,61,260 people for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene," it said.

For this they need $12,90,60,000 in 2020, the release added.

Australian company AIS Marine & Offshore and Bangladeshi non-profit organization Green Bangladesh Green Movement are jointly organising this ultra-marathon to raise funds for Unicef Bangladesh.

Since 2017, Australia has helped the Bangladesh government lead the humanitarian response in Cox's Bazar. Australian funding has contributed to the distribution of food (such as rice and pulses) to more than 400,000 displaced patients, supported the provision of nutritious supplements to 54,6 women and children, and further worked on the construction of friendly places for 39,254 children suffering from malnutrition.

Born in 1962, Pat Farmer holds one of the most revered world records in human history, running from the North Pole to the South Pole. He set the world record in 2012 for raising funds for the Australian Red Cross.