Japanese ultra runner Wataru Iino has completed his quest of running the length of the Americas – burning through just two pairs of shoes in the process. In an emotional social media post on April 7, he announced he had crossed the line at Fin del Mundo in Ushuaia at the very bottom of Argentina, after running for over 300 days covering 6, 800 miles (11,000km) through South America.
It was a new record for covering the Americas on foot, starting in Alaska and running south, which entails a grueling total distance of 15,500 miles (25,000km). He ran as much as he could on trail, especially in North America, including most of the Pacific Crest Trail. Iino estimates he managed 40% of the epic journey off-road.
"The South American continent is very different from the North American continent, and I had to keep climbing up and down the Andes mountains, which are over 3,000 meters high," he tells EIN Presswire.
"In the second half of my trip through South America, I had to endure 3,000km of running in the strong winds of Patagonia. The support I received from everyone gave me the motivation to keep going. I was finally able to reach the finish line."
Incredibly, Iino said he completed the total distance using just two pairs of trail running shoes from Hoka (he's been known to wear the Tecton X in the past) and even though the famous brand has offered to provide a new pair every 300-500 miles, Iino is aiming to use just one pair per continent.
He also runs in a traditional Japanese monk-style shirt and bamboo hat.
Beyond the monster distance were other challenges: having to negotiate his way through private land, being given counterfeit currency, and enduring days of brown desert landscape. None of that seemed to discourage him, however; along the way, he added to his mileage by competing in trail races, including the Kodiak by UTMB 100-mile race in Big Bear, California and the UTMB Fin del Mundo in Argentina.
In an interview with Run, he revealed that most days he eats oatmeal for breakfast and instant noodles for dinner. At the start of the challenge, he used funds from a sponsor to buy a car, which is driven by a friend or volunteer as a support vehicle. At night, he either camps or stays in Airbnbs.
Iino has used savings and crowdfunding to finance his trip.
In his latest Instagram post, Iino writes: "Change is what makes life richer and more flexible. Calm waters are nice now and then, but it’s the storms that help us grow."
He'll be returning to Japan and holding talks about his journeys before embarking on his next challenges: the length of Africa south, Eurasia from Portugal to China, and Australia as a coastal loop starting and ending in Sydney. He hopes to complete them all in three years.
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