A New Plymouth firefighter has joined an elite group of athletes to complete the Grand to Grand Ultra – billed as the world's toughest multi-stop ultra-marathon.
Haisley O'Leary ran across nearly 300 kilometres of American desert, from Arizona to Utah. It was six stages in seven days and 38degC heat.
Of the 126 runners who started the marathon, only 99 finished, including Mr O'Leary. He placed 49th.
It wasn't an easy feat for the 37-year-old, who had – in his words – a near-death experience when the heat and the stress on his body proved too much.
"It's hard to explain but it's pretty much a feeling of out-of-body experience."
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