If you keep an eye on who’s running from Perth to Sydney, you might know that British ultra-runner William Goodge is currently midway through his attempt to break the record for the 3800km run. Goodge is on track for his goal of 35 days (the record is 39 days), covering approximately 110km a day.

Today, another world record hopeful by the name of Fran Hurndall set off aiming to cross the country in 34 days. 

TDA Sport sat down with Fran a few weeks ago to hear about her attempt - head to the two-minute section below if you’d like to hear more. 

17 years and 291 days 
The age of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, whose goal against Inter Milan this morning made him the youngest player ever to score in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Yamal’s goal did not prove the difference between the two sides, though, with the final result being a 3-3 draw. The second leg of the semi-final will be played next week in Italy. Denzel Dumfries starred for Inter Milan with two goals. 

“When I arrived in Australia in January I was uncomfortable, also because it seemed to me that the other players looked at me differently. For a moment, I even thought about giving up everything.”
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner in an interview addressing how he felt during this year’s Australian Open while being investigated for two failed drug tests. After serving a three-month doping ban, the world number one is set to return to the court next week at the Italian Open in Rome.

Russian shotputter Natalya Lisovskaya holds one of the longest standing records in sport. Lisovskaya recorded a world record throw of 22.66 metres in 1987. The winning throw for the women’s shotput at the 2024 Paris Olympics was 20.00 metres (Yemisi Ogunleye, Germany).

⚽ Chelsea has won a sixth consecutive Women’s Super League title after beating Manchester United 1-0. The English club, which still has two matches remaining in the season, needed only one point to win the title after second-placed Arsenal lost earlier in the day to Aston Villa. Matildas star Sam Kerr is still recovering from an ACL injury and did not take to the field. 

🎾 Alex de Minaur is out of the Madrid Open after losing to Italian 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets. De Minaur has reached the final 16 at all five ATP Masters events this year but was unable to overcome Musetti for a quarter-finals spot. He has now lost his past three matches against the Italian. 

🏀 Australian basketball star Dyson Daniels was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2024/25 season. In his third year in the league and first with the Atlanta Hawks, Daniels improved his average points per game by 8.3 (to 14.1) and led the entire league in steals. Daniels’ defensive ability was also recognised, as he finished second in voting for Defensive Player of the Year behind the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley.

State of Origin has arrived, with the opening match of the women’s series set to kick off tonight. Here’s what you need to know before the Queensland Maroons host the NSW Sky Blues at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane tonight.

The Maroons have traditionally dominated Women’s State of Origin, having won four of the last five series. The Blues’ most recent win came in 2022, when the format was a standalone game. 

Last year, the series expanded to three games for the first time, with the Maroons winning two of three. 

This year, the Maroons begin their title defence at home, as with last year. They may not have a home ground advantage, however, as the Blues won the same match last year 22-12. 

Tonight will be new Blues coach John Strange’s first outing with the side. Strange has named a team with four debutants, including Parramatta’s Abbi Church and the Roosters’ Jayme Fressard, who start at fullback and on the wing respectively. The Blues player to watch is 2024 Dally M Centre of the Year Tiana Penitani Gray, who has been selected at five-eighth. 

Meanwhile, Maroons coach Tahnee Norris has named a side that includes 10 members of last year’s series-winning team. Queensland’s attack will centre around the experienced halves duo of Ali Brigginshaw and Tarryn Aiken, both Australian representatives. Norris has also named four debutants, including centre Rory Owen and winger Jasmine Peters, who will both start.

While the NRLW season does not start until July, both squads have undertaken a six-week training camp to prepare for the series. 

Tonight’s match is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm. You can watch it on Channel 9.

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Today, British woman Fran Hurndall begins her quest to become the fastest ever person to run across Australia. Hurndall is setting out to run the 3,800km from Cottesloe Beach in Perth to Bondi Beach in Sydney in just 34 days. For Hurndall, it’s not only an attempt to set a new world record, but an opportunity to start a conversation about domestic violence. 

TDA Sport sat down with her a few weeks ago to understand what’s driving her.  

This isn’t the first time Hurndall, a former soccer player, has attempted something out of the ordinary. In 2023, she dribbled a soccer ball from the Gold Coast to Sydney. In the process, she raised $20,000 for women’s sport. That challenge saw her cover about 30 kilometres a day.

To prepare for covering 110km a day for over a month, training has consumed the past nine months for Hurndall. While she’s taken the training seriously, Hurndall acknowledges that you can never be fully prepared for a challenge like this.

“This is something that you can't physically prepare for. Otherwise, I'd be running 770 kilometres a week, which is just nuts.”

The public’s interest in ultra-running has grown dramatically in recent decades. A 2020 study by RunRepeat found that in the previous decade, ultra-running participation had increased by 345%. 

In 2022, Nedd Brockmann captured Australia’s attention by running from Perth to Bondi, which he completed in 44 days. At the time, the record was 43 days, set by German runner Achim Heukemes in 2005. 

Then, in 2023, Australian engineer and ultra-runner Chris Turnbull set the current record of 39 days, eight hours, and one minute. As you read this, British ultra-runner William Goodge is somewhere in South Australia amid an attempt to run across the country in 35 days. Goodge started on 15 April. 

When asked about her ambitious goal of 34 days, Hurndall says, “The female record, I think it's around 79 days. I could've taken a less challenging way out. But… would you run 3,800 kilometres to start a conversation?”

Hurndall’s run coincides with Domestic Violence Prevention Month, and she is aiming to raise $1 million for RizeUp Australia, a charity supporting families fleeing domestic violence. The cause is personal for Hurndall.

“In 2024, I found out my sister had been suffering in a domestic violence relationship… all while trying to raise a child,” she says. “We had no idea.”

While she is intent on breaking the record, Hurndall is not losing sight of her ultimate goal: “The most important thing for me is getting help and making a change and impact for those who are suffering in a domestic violence-like relationship.”

You can learn more about Fran’s cause and donate here.