"Two years ago, 27-year-old Colombian Steven Herrera made history as the first person to run across his country from end to end. Now, he is scaling that feat to a new level, taking an unprecedented route with the goal of running across South America. Footage filmed on Monday shows Herrera preparing for his gruelling schedule with stretches and massages, before running through the historic city of Cuenca, where passersby greet the athlete along his route. "I became the first person to run across Colombia, 2000 kilometres from end to end. And as a continuation of that, to be able to reach the final goal, which is to become the first human being to run across the entirety of South America," Steven Herrera said. Herrera's routine includes daily distances ranging from 40 kilometres to 100 kilometres, crossing deserts, jungles and highways. Although the physical strain is extreme, the objective of the challenge is charitable - to raise funds for the construction of schools in different countries across South America. "Through what we are doing we are impacting lives, inspiring not only people to look to sport as a refuge to seek to transform harmful habits, but also to be inspired to serve humanity," Herrera said. "What we are doing not only leaves a mark in the purpose of building schools, but that sport is also inspiring us to rethink the way we live and experience life," he added. The journey covers some 12,000 kilometres across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. The challenge began on August 17 in Punta Gallinas, La Guajira, at the northernmost point of his country, and will culminate in Ushuaia, Argentina, between September and November 2026. Herrera's record-breaking 'Proyecto Sur America 2025' mission is now around day 125 of its journey, with his next goal to reach the city of Loja, in Ecuador, before crossing the border at Macara towards Peru’s desert."