Pole position: Australian ultra-marathon athlete Pat Farmer (second from left) on the road with his Vietnamese running companion Mai Nguyen Dinh Huy (third from left). — Photo poletopolerun.com

HA NOI (VNS)- Australian ultra-marathon athlete Pat Farmer ended his 3,000km run from the top to the bottom of Viet Nam on Tuesday after 40 days on the road.

Farmer left northern Mong Cai town in Quang Ninh Province on December 9 to finish in the southern-most province of Ca Mau. Funds raised from "Pole to Pole Vietnam" will support Australian Red Cross projects in Viet Nam.

"Each of us has a gift, a talent that makes us unique," Farmer was quoted as saying in the website http://poletopolerun.com

"My gift is to inspire a better world through my footsteps . . . a world that cares for all of humanity. I do this by running and fund-raising for Australian Red Cross.

"By taking on this run in Viet Nam, I can support vital work, including projects that provide clean water to local Vietnamese communities, helping to improve the lives of those who need it most. Sadly, unsafe water and poor sanitation has claimed too many lives but we can help prevent this," he said.

Farmer was accompanied on the run by Mai Nguyen Dinh Huy, 25, who had met Farmer during the latter's studies in Australia. In "Pole to Pole" they ran the equivalent of two marathons a day every day.

"Everyone only has one life to live, so why we don't decide to do the things that we want," said Huy, who left his job in August last year to train for the run that would take him through more than 30 cities.

The two men were sometimes joined by local people.

For his part, Farmer shared photos and videos of the run with audiences around the world through the website http://poletopolerun.com. He also did regular interviews with local media and was on Australian Television.

"Ordinary people can do extraordinary things if only they have purpose and belief in themselves," Farmer said. "And there can be no greater purpose than to change lives, and in some cases save lives, through bringing the most basic of needs – clean drinking water and clean sanitary conditions – to those in need."

In February last year Farmer took part in the greatest run in history, a grueling 21,000km journey from the North Pole to the South Pole, to raise funds for Red Cross. He published a book about his adventures.

Farmer served eight years as an Australian Member of Parliament and was named Achiever of the Year in 2000 by then prime minister John Howard. He has raised millions of dollars for causes during his 20-year running career. --VNS