Australian endurance athlete Phil Gore completed an extraordinary solo running challenge, covering 1,019.3 kilometres in 152 consecutive hours while raising more than A$280,000 for charity.
The attempt, called Project 168, took place around Alfred Skeet Reserve in Forrestdale, Western Australia. Gore ran a 6.7-kilometre loop at the beginning of every hour for more than six days and nights. His original target was to continue for 168 hours—seven complete days—but his effort ended after 152 loops.
Project 168 raised funds for Telethon 7, an Australian charity that supports children and families through medical services, equipment and financial assistance. Gore’s team recorded and monitored the challenge, while details of the run were also uploaded to Strava.
Despite surpassing the distance achieved in recognised backyard ultra competitions, Gore’s performance does not qualify as an official backyard ultra world record. Under the traditional rules, a backyard ultra must be contested by multiple runners, with participants completing a 6.71-kilometre loop every hour until only one competitor remains. Because Project 168 was performed individually rather than as part of a competitive race, it is considered an unofficial endurance achievement. Gore already holds the recognised backyard ultra world record of 119 laps, covering more than 790 kilometres at the 2025 Dead Cow Gully Backyard Ultra in Queensland.
To manage extreme sleep deprivation, Gore occasionally completed loops in approximately 35 to 40 minutes. This allowed him to take brief naps of around 10 to 15 minutes before starting the next hourly loop. Although he did not achieve his seven-day target, Gore’s six-day effort established an extraordinary new benchmark for solo endurance while generating substantial support for children and families in need.
