Great Strides

Guinness World Record holder NATALIE DAU reckons running an ultramarathon boils down to expecting the unexpected.

- By ADORA WONG

Some say life begins at 40. For Natalie Dau, it involved leaving a corporate career to become an elite athlete at that age. She would go on to earn a Guinness World Record for the Fastest Crossing of Peninsular Malaysia on Foot 12 years later.

Now 53, the endurance athlete and ultramarathoner dedicates most of her days to training. Apart from competing or running to raise awareness for various causes, she also holds motivational talks and conducts high-performance coaching.

Originally from Australia, Dau has called Singapore home for more than two decades. What began as a two-year stint became permanent—she 'loved it so much' she stayed. Her current training regimen includes running 100km to 120km over six days, strength training, and Reformer Pilates, which she reckons she is "terrible" at.

Not that it negates her natural athletic abilities. While she had only started running later in life, she won her very first 100km race despite never having participated in a marathon prior to the event. "I fell in love with the challenge mentally and physically, and the rest is history," she lets on.

Last year, Dau initiated Project 1,000, a 12-day solo run of 1,000km to raise awareness and funds for underprivileged women and girls. The expedition had her pounding the pavement from Thailand to Singapore to raise $50,000 for GRLS, a charity that empowers women and girls through sports and exercise.