Erchana Murray-Bartlett Erchana Murray-Bartlett

June 2024

This month’s Phone It In contestant is Australian running obsessive and turbo-optimist Erchana Murray-Bartlett.

Erchana is goofy about running. Nuts for it. She’s been running competitively for the last ten years (road, trail, backyard ultras, and world record attempts), and in 2023, she ran one marathon every day for 150 days from Cape York to Melbourne/Naarm, setting a new Guinness World Record and raising over $140,000 for at-risk Australian wildlife. She’s sponsored by Garmin and Tarkin Athletics, and when she’s not running, she’s either asleep or eating. We sent her through a shot list. Here’s what we got back.

Most Recent Photo On Your Phone

I visited my sister at the café where she works on the Gold Coast! This is her making me my favorite coffee—an oat latte.

The Most Aussie Thing In Your Possession

This is a finger lime tree, a native Aussie citrus fruit. I love it. The fruit is unreal, but the bush is super gnarly and covered in thorns, so you have to be super careful when you pick the limes!

A Favourite Human

My fiancé Ry. He is the world’s best teammate.

Where You Are When You're Not Running

Usually, I would be here at my makeshift home office, or if I’m not here, I’d be at a café or walking along the beach. That’s 90% of my non-running time.

Something Cool That Has Four Legs

My two pet budgies, Mustard and Fudge, have four legs collectively. Fudge was a rescue bird we found lost on a nature strip. We nursed him back to health, and then, so he wouldn’t be lonely, we got him a friend, Mustard (the yellow one).

The Inside of Your Refrigerator

It goes from very full to very empty pretty quickly. This was taken on a Friday, so it’s looking pretty good, considering our market day is Saturday.

The Place You Keep All Your Running Gear

It’s all over the house, but a large portion is stuffed away in this cupboard. 'Stuffed' is the right word…

Your Favourite Place in the World

The list for this is surprisingly long. I can’t choose just one, but I will say the Burleigh Heads Hill is right up there because it’s a great vantage point to see whales. I run past it every day—aaaand it’s where I met Ry.

A Tattoo or Scar & The Story Behind It

I only have one tattoo, which makes me different from my sisters, who are covered with them. I got it in Thailand when I was 18, and then, because I run in the sand so much, it rubbed off. A year later, I got it touched up (pretty much re-done).

Something You Recently Ate

I eat pretty healthy, but I am also a huge fan of (dairy-free) ice cream, so I was pretty happy when I found this plant-based beauty. I think I’ve had a few boxes of them recently.

Something You Need to Throw Out

Last night, I pulled down some very, very old spices (think plus four years) from the depths of the cupboard. I don’t want to waste the jars, but I definitely need to throw out their contents and give them a new life.

Your Proudest Moment

Crossing the finish line in Melbourne after running 150 marathons in 150 days from Cape York (the northernmost tip of Australia), breaking the Guinness World Record for most consecutive marathons, and doubling my fundraising goal for at-risk Australian wildlife.