2,548 miles from Perth to Sydney. An average of 34.4 miles a day. Two broken buggies. Manumit Ambassador Fred Stokes has completed the Australian leg of his Earth Strider journey, bringing his total distance so far to 6,600 miles.
Perth to Sydney, on foot
Crossing Australia is a big journey by any measure. Fred has just done it on foot, running 2,548 miles from Perth to Sydney while pushing his belongings along in a buggy.
His Australian crossing added up to:
- 2,548 miles covered
- 34.4 miles a day on average
- Two broken buggies along the way!
That's an ultramarathon a day. A remarkable distance for a single outing, repeated across an entire country.
The final mileage tells only part of the story. A journey like this is built on getting up and going again, managing the everyday practicalities alongside the running, and finding a way forward when equipment gives up before you do.
The buggies might not have gone the distance, but Fred did.
What is Fred Stokes' Earth Strider journey?
Australia is the latest chapter in a much bigger adventure.
Fred's Earth Strider journey has now taken him through Europe, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia, with 6,600 miles covered so far.
The aim is far bigger than one continent. Fred is continuing his journey around the world on foot, taking each country and continent one stage at a time to raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
With Australasia complete, he's now turning his attention to America, where he plans to run coast to coast from west to east.
As Fred put it:
“That's a wrap on Australasia! Another continent under my belt... let's get on to America. I'll be running coast to coast, west to east... follow along for the ride.”
There's plenty of road still ahead, but completing the Australian crossing is a milestone worth stopping to celebrate.
Manumit along for the miles
Fred has been wearing our Trail Sun Hoody and 100% merino wool T-shirts along the way.
When you're carrying everything you need (or pushing it around the world in a buggy!), every item has to earn its place.
Comfort matters. Versatility matters. And when you're wearing the same kit day after day, the ability to stay comfortable without constantly washing and changing clothing matters too.
Trail Sun Hoody
Our Trail Sun Hoody uses lightweight 120 gsm Nuyarn® fabric made from 70% merino wool and 30% nylon.
It combines long sleeves, a low-profile hood and UPF 50+ protection with the natural breathability, temperature regulation and odour resistance of merino.
It's designed for exactly the sort of long, exposed days Fred has been putting it through.
If you're wondering why we'd use merino wool for a lightweight sun layer, we've also written about what a sun hoodie is and why we chose merino wool.
100% merino wool T-shirts
Fred has also been wearing our 100% superfine merino wool T-shirts.
Made using lightweight 17.5 micron merino, they're naturally breathable, odour resistant and temperature regulating.
Those characteristics become particularly useful on a journey where packing light matters and the same clothing needs to work repeatedly across changing conditions.
We've looked in more detail at why merino wool doesn't smell as quickly as many synthetic fabrics, one of the reasons we think it works so well for extended adventures.
Testing kit beyond the product page
There are plenty of ways to test outdoor clothing.
You can look at fabric specifications, laboratory results and product samples.
But there is something particularly valuable about seeing somebody wear the same garments day after day while crossing a continent.
Fred's journey isn't a controlled product test, and we wouldn't pretend that it is.
But seeing our clothing used across thousands of miles, changing weather and repeated long days outside is exactly the sort of real-world use we had in mind when we started Manumit.
For a small outdoor brand, that's pretty special.
Next stop: America
Australia is done.
Next comes another enormous challenge: running across America from west to east.
We'll be following Fred as the Earth Strider journey continues and sharing updates along the way.
Huge congratulations, Fred.
6,600 miles down. Plenty more to come.
[Follow Fred's Earth Strider journey]
[Explore our 100% merino wool T-shirts]
Find freedom in wild places.