Trans Atlas Running - A Journey across Five Continents, Chapter2 South America Continent
1) Introduction
I, Wataru Iino, am now challenging myself to run across five continents on foot, covering a total distance of 100,000km.
This project called Trans Atlas Running. I believe no one has ever done such project before.
My challenge is seven-year run over five continents, starting in North America and covering South America, Eurasia, Australia, and Africa.
The challenge started in June 2023 and covered 14,000 km through the North American continent in 10 months.
Let me explain about myself and why I am taking on this challenge.
2) Why Wataru challenges?
I born and raised in Japan, I used to be an engineer for a Japanese car company, and living a stable life.
I started running when I was 30 years old, just for purpose on diet.
Then I began participating races to keep my motivation up, and sometimes I even won.
I discovered a world I had never seen before, and my life changed.
During this time, a friend of mine who doesn`t run at all said to me
"Why don't you just run back to Japan from Africa?" after I won the Namib desert race.
That sounded kind of fun for me.
After I returned to Japan, I started looking for something no one had done before. I wanted to run across the Northern Hemisphere and set the FKT (Fastest Known Time).
In preparing for this challenge, I met many people, and it expanded to include five continents, which seemed unbelievable to achieve.
And the journey finally started in June 2023.
3) North America Continent
My first challenge was in North America. I completed 14,000 km in 10 months from Alaska in the Arctic Ocean to Panama in Central America.
My journey in the North American continent was full of adventures.
I ran hundreds of kilometers of empty Alaskan highways and over 1,000 kilometers of the PCT, one of the three major trails in the United States.
I also ran in the scorching wilderness with temperatures in the 30C° and encountered wild bears.
I got lost in the mountains along the way and even won a trail running race that was held in the town I had just arrived in.
Many locals cheered me on, and I was finally able to complete the race despite the grueling journey.
4) South America continent and another funding
I returned once to Japan in March and prepared for about two months.
Now it is time for the second chapter, and I am beginning my second challenge in South America continent.
It is from Cartagena, Colombia to Ushuaia, Argentina, a total distance of approximately 12,000km.
The cost of the North America continent for 10 months was about US$67,400.
This includes the cost of a car and driver to run alongside and support me as I continued to run through empty wilderness and empty deserts.
By crowdfunding in Japan, I was able to raise $45,000 and use other funds to complete the North America continent.
Detail of the cost in the Challenge in North America Continent
・Foods $7,700
・Accommodations $29,000
・Supporting Car and staff expense $24,000
・Gas $5,500
・Other daily necessities $ 1,200
Total $67,400
I expect to need a total of US$54,000 to take on the challenge to South America.
For this purpose, I have conducted a crowdfunding campaign in Japan and was able to raise US$20,000 as a result of the support of many people.
As a result, I need to raise the remaining US$34,000 to complete this journey.
So, I decided to run this campaign during the first 3 months of this trip to raise the $5000 goal as the first step.
I would like to thank everyone I will meet on my upcoming journey, the many people I have met in my previous challenges, and all those who saw this article and decided to support me.
I will keep running, so that I can bring you a view from the end of the world that no one has ever seen.
With love.
Wataru Iino
