- Brit ultrarunner and model is trying to break running record in Australia
- William Goodge will run equivalent of 90 marathons in just 35 days
British ultrarunner and male model William Goodge’s audacious attempt to become the fastest person to run 4000km across Australia has been overshadowed by ongoing cheating allegations.
The former semi-professional rugby player from Bedfordshire in the UK began his journey on April 15 as he tries run from from Cottesloe Beach in Perth to Bondi Beach in Sydney in just 35 days.
Goodge was on on day 17 of the run at the time of writing and was averaging more than 110km each day as he aims to break the record of 39 days set by Aussie engineer Chris Turnbull in 2023.
The 31-year-old began running in 2018 to process his mother’s cancer diagnosis, telling the Daily Mail that ‘running helped me to deal with my demons’.
Since that time, the popular endurance athlete has taken on many challenges, including becoming the fastest Englishman to run across the USA, raising thousands for cancer research in the process.
However, some skeptical members of the ultra running community have questioned his achievements – and will be closely watching his run across Australia.
William Goodge is attempting to become the fastest human to run 4000km across Australia
Some in the running community think the model’s impressive feats are too good to be true
William Cockerell, a veteran long-distance runner and sportswriter based in the UK, is convinced that Goodge’s stats are too good to be true and has accused him of ‘watch muling’ – a form of cheating where you share a GPS device between runners.
Many runners, Goodge included, upload the data from their wearable devices to exercise tracking networks like Strava.
Cockerell has claimed that Goodge’s relatively poor results in official ultra-marathons combined with his low heart rate during events are very suspicious.
He has even tried to catch Goodge in the act of cheating by flying to the States to confront the athlete on his run from Los Angeles to New York in 2023, but he found no evidence.
‘Yes, Goodge is a good-looking guy, and he’s making a lot of money. But what appalls me is he is taking a lot of money away from the more deserving international athletes out there,’ Cockerell said.
Other runners have also expressed skepticism, including well-known ultrarunner Rob Pope, who stated that he hopes Goodge’s records are genuine, but his ‘heart rate doesn’t make sense’.
Goodge says he wouldn’t be surprised if Cockerell travels Down Under to confront him during the trans-continental run – but will have all the necessary tech on him to shut down criticisms.
‘I’m going to have a live tracker on me at all times,’ Goodge told the Financial Review.
Goodge maintains he’s done everything he’s said he done – and has raised thousands for charity along the way
Goodge turned to running after the death of his mother to ‘deal with his demons’
Despite some detractors, Goodge also has a lot of support within the running community
‘I’ll be wearing my Coros [fitness] watch, and I’ll have my Whoop for data on Strava … and I’m getting all my crew members Whoop bands as well … so we’ll have datasets for everyone who is involved.’
‘I’ve done everything I’ve ever said I’ve done.
‘But I appreciate that there is a higher burden of proof when you say you’re going for an actual record.’
Goodge also has plenty of support in the running community, including from vegan ultra-endurance athlete Rich Roll, who’s dubbed him an ‘absolute beast’ who cops a lot of criticism because he looks, and acts, very different to most other ultra runners.
Meanwhile, Goodge is focused on being himself and completing his run to Sydney in record time.
‘I feel like I put some good out into the world. I raise money for charities. I’m doing it for good reasons,’ said Goodge .
‘And yes, somehow it’s now become a career, and I feel very blessed about that.’
