Recognising an Extraordinary Journey on Foot Around the World
Nicolò Guarrera Completes a Five-Year, 36,146 km Journey
The World Runners Association (WRA) is pleased to announce that Nicolò Guarrera of Italy has been awarded Honorary Membership, becoming the second person to receive this distinction, following Tom Fremantle.
Nicolò set off from his home in San Tomio, Italy, on 9 August 2020, embarking on an extraordinary journey that would take him across several continents over the next five years. He returned home on 13 September 2025, having covered a remarkable 36,146 kilometres on foot.
His journey took him across Europe, from Italy to Spain, followed by South America, from Panama to Ushuaia in Argentina. He then crossed Australia from Sydney to Darwin, walked across India from Kolkata to Surat, and continued through the Middle East towards Istanbul before returning to Italy.
Following a detailed review of his journey, the WRA was particularly impressed by the quality and transparency of Nicolò’s documentation. His satellite tracking, daily logs and supporting route data allowed us to reconstruct and verify his walking route in considerable detail.
While Nicolò’s journey does not meet all the technical criteria required for ratification as an official WRA world circumnavigation, the exceptional distance covered, his perseverance over five years and the meticulous documentation of his achievement fully merit special recognition.
The World Runners Association is delighted to welcome Nicolò Guarrera as its second Honorary Member and warmly congratulates him on this remarkable achievement!
Honorary Membership recognises exceptional achievements and contributions to world running and walking, independently of formal circumnavigation ratification.
Further information about the WRA’s Honorary Membership Guidelines can be found on our About Us page.
Phil Essam
World Runners Association President
28/09/2026