Come 7 March 2026, adidas laces up alongside ultra-endurance athlete and adidas ambassador, Natalie Dau, as she attempts to ‘Break 8’. The goal is to run across Peninsular Malaysia in under 8 days by completing an average of 105 kilometres per day. In doing so, she aims to set a new Guinness World Record and catalyse a regional movement in support of women and girls.
Project 1000 (P1000) began as Natalie’s 1,000-kilometre ultra-endurance project to push human limits and give back to communities in need.
In 2024, she ran 1,000 kilometres from Thailand to Singapore in 12 days, earning a Guinness World Record for the ‘Fastest Crossing of Peninsular Malaysia on Foot’ and a Singapore Book of Records title for the ‘Fastest 1000-kilometre Thailand–Singapore Ultramarathon’. The following year, she ran the same distance and duration again from the top of Luzon into Manila in the Philippines.
Building on these first two editions, this 2026 chapter, titled ‘Breaking 8’, retains its name as a symbol of its ethos. It transforms one woman’s run into a platform for community, charity and change, powered by adidas, the P1000 crew, and runners across Malaysia and Singapore.
Natalie +1: A feat fuelled by community
To have the P1000 crew and community runners come together in solidarity with Natalie aligns with the ‘+1 Effect’ – adidas’ belief that positive support in sport is the tailwind athletes need to feel empowered to achieve their best.
adidas brings world-class performance gear and a regional running network to amplify that effect, while Natalie’s P1000 crew manages navigation, safety, fueling, documentation and logistics during the run. Each with their part to play so that Natalie has only one job each day: to run.
Introducing the P1000 Crew
adidas Runners Singapore coach Arthur Tong plays the role of crew lead, cycling alongside Natalie to keep her on course and safe. Health and performance specialist Mei Yeong and social media and PR lead Esther Wong will monitor the hydration and nutrition aspects of this project, whilst providing live updates to the public from the support van. Jaems Chua will be leading the film and photography team to capture the entire attempt. Natalie’s husband and daughter, Matthew and Lilliana France, will also join her as part of the support team for the first two days of the journey.
With Women We Run: Breaking records and barriers
Timed to run through International Women’s Day, this year’s P1000 shines a spotlight on women and girls in underserved communities across Malaysia. Natalie has partnered with a Malaysia-based organisation that supports displaced families, with a strong focus on women’s safety and girls’ education.
Natalie said: “Project 1000 has come to represent the power of discovering purpose together, and how far that shared belief can carry us. If this run inspires even one person to take their first step, or helps create safer, more supportive spaces for women and girls to move and lead, then every kilometre has been worth it.”
The route and where fans and supporters can join
The route charts a demanding loop around Peninsular Malaysia, finishing at the Johor Bahru (JB) customs checkpoint before crossing back into Singapore for a final, celebratory run currently planned for 15 March 2026 that supporters are welcome to join.
Key checkpoints include:
- Finish at JB customs checkpoint (estimated: 14 March 2026) – a symbolic end to the Malaysian leg, open to supporters willing to brave border traffic to welcome her home.
- Singapore finish line (15 March 2026, registration at 7:30am) – a community run hosted at The Westin Singapore, where participants can join Natalie for an easy 5km or 10km run or walk. It will be followed by a behind-the-scenes sharing session with the team, refreshments and giveaways, to celebrate the conclusion of Breaking 8.
For more details, visit the event registration website.
Malaysian running communities alongside adidas Runners Malaysia are expected to join Natalie and the crew at selected legs.
Supporters from both Singapore and Malaysia are welcome to join selected stretches of the run. A live tracker link will be shared on Natalie’s Instagram (@nataliedau) account, allowing supporters to track her location and coordinate meet-ups with the P1000 crew. Please follow the account for the most updated timelines.
Gear engineered for 105km a day
To sustain an average of 105km per day for eight days, every piece of gear on Natalie will be put through its paces. For this attempt, Natalie’s race-day rotation will highlight adidas’ award-winning, record-breaking Adizero footwear franchise:
● adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 – Her primary long-distance workhorse, selected for its
cushioning, energy return, and stability at ultra distances. Multiple pairs will be rotated across days to manage wear and weather.
● adidas Adizero EVO SL – A lightweight performance trainer in her rotation, offering
responsive cushioning and a fast, streamlined ride that helps her stay quick and efficient on the road.
● adidas Adilette Comfort 2.0 Slides – Post-run recovery slides with soft cushioning to let her feet decompress between stages while still staying supported.
The World Record attempt: pace, proof and the P1000 machine
To ‘Break 8’, Natalie must average 105km per day over eight consecutive days, running 15–16 hours daily in a structured run–walk rhythm. For example, 30 minutes of running followed by 2 minutes of walking, with short 5‑minute breaks every 90–120 minutes for fueling.
Behind the scenes, the Guinness World Records process is almost as demanding as the
distance:
- A 30‑page briefing sets out strict criteria, including a no‑pacing rule where no one may run in front of her; crew must stay behind or support from a bike.
- On her previous attempt, Natalie and team submitted 160 pieces of evidence, including:
- Full GPX files and stop–start logs from two watches (one continuous, one per‑day).
- Time‑stamped video at each day’s start and finish, showing location, date and watch data.
- Daily witness statements with photos and location details.
- At least 10 minutes of footage per day of Natalie running on flat ground, to prove she is running rather than walking.
- Photographs of her shoes and GPS data from Tong’s bike.
Each evening, the convoy returns from an isolated finish point to the nearest accommodation available, sometimes over an hour away; while Natalie eats, showers and tears off the tape on her feet before collapsing into bed.
The crew washes kit, uploads content, restocks water and ice, charges headlamps and devices, and repacks vans for the next night’s start.
By dawn (or shortly after), the team is back at the exact kilometre marker where they stopped, restarting the watches and the cameras to keep the record intact.
Keeping track of Natalie’s progress
Supporters can follow Natalie’s record attempt and get behind the cause in real time via Instagram: her primary source for updates, behind‑the‑scenes content, live chats with the crew, reposts from the running community and the live tracker link.
For updates, follow Natalie Dau (@nataliedau) and adidas Singapore (@adidasSG) on Instagram.
