Ultrarunning superstar Karel Sabbe has set a remarkable new men’s supported record for the fastest known time (FKT) on the Te Araroa trail in New Zealand.
The Belgian covered the 3,054-kilometre trail in just under 32 days to take a jaw-dropping 17-and-a-half days off New Zealander George Henderson’s previous best mark.
Starting at the tip of the North Island at Cape Reinga, the trail covers all sorts of terrain including mountain ranges and rainforests as well as multiple river crossings and kayaking sections – plus a boat crossing of the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands.
Between there and Bluff at the southernmost point there was 43,200 metres of elevation gain – nearly five times Mt Everest – but Sabbe somehow averaged nearly 60 miles a day.
And to give some sort of perspective, Russ Cook – aka the ‘Hardest Geezer’ and the man who ran the entire length of Africa in 2023 and 2024 – has made it his next challenge and is planning to take around 10 weeks.
Sabbe is no stranger to incredible FKTs, counting the Pacific Crest Trail (twice) and the Appalachian Trail, both in the US, among his achievements.
But he’s arguably best known for becoming the 17th finisher of the infamous Barkley Marathons in 2023, when he just made the cut-off inside the allotted 60 hours – echoing what would happen 12 months later when Jasmin Paris became the first woman to finish.
‘Epic adventure’
Writing on his Instagram page after his latest FKT, Sabbe said: “It took us 31 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes to run the length of New Zealand – the 3054km long Te Araroa Trail.
“What an epic adventure it was.
“For sure, it was the most diverse trail I ever ran, from volcanoes to rainforest, Alps to kayaking rivers.
“One moment you could gently cruise on runnable trails, only to suddenly have a ‘rough tramping’ section on which you take hours for just a couple of km.
“Running 96km per day would never have been possible without @karelsabbe_crew. You guys helped me to only have to think about running. Henri, Kobe, Marie, Anna & Emma you are the best.
“And so many thanks to the New Zealanders and your amazing support, hospitality and kindness – you took our trail experience to an entirely different level.”
‘Luckily, Karel doesn’t do easy’
His support crew had given an indication of the monumental effort Sabbe was putting himself through when they posted before the final push to Bluff.
They said: “Karel is tired.
“He has crossed so many rivers. Tried to run kms of unrunnable paths. Climbed and descended many passes. Woke up everyday at 4 am or earlier. Without a single break.
“The crew is tired. Our legs are full of bruises and scratches. We have been eaten by sandflies. Logistics are insane. We need a shower and a good long sleep. And no alarm.
“One thing is for sure: the TA is not an easy path. Luckily, Karel doesn’t do ‘easy’ – and neither do we.
“See you in Bluff 👋🏻”
Another remarkable achievement – click here to see the exact route and photos along the way from Karel’s tracker.
