Perry Newburn during a quick stop on day two near Mangamuka, in the heart of Northland.

Feilding runner Perry Newburn is on track to beat a 40-year record as he treks 2110 kilometres from Cape Reinga to Bluff.

The 63-year-old embarked on a length of New Zealand mission on Monday in an effort to raise money for Koru Care.

Although it's early days, at the time of publication, Newburn had stuck to his 120km a day schedule.

DAVID UNWIN/FAIRFAX NZ Perry Newburn is running the length of New Zealand.

He left the Cape Reinga lighthouse at 4am on Monday, running 118km in 15 hours to Kaitaia on day one.

READ MORE: Former heroin addict sets sights on length of New Zealand record

After a five-hour sleep he was back on the road at 3am on Tuesday, tackling the unforgiving Mangamuka Range in the morning.

The gnarly ridge had a 5km incline and 8km decline.

"Going up was easy, but going down was hard on the quads so I dropped it right back," Newburn said.

"It still continues to be fun. One foot in front of the other. We're peeling out the miles slowly by slowly."

Newburn was varying his running speeds and distances between breaks. "I never tend to stop for long. It's too hard to get going again otherwise."

Instead, he sets little milestones - 20km before a break, 70km before lunch and then into cruise control during the afternoon with intermittent walking breaks.

"[Monday] was a long day. They're all going to be like that right through, though."

He aims to beat the 42-year record, set by Siggy Bauer in 1975, of 18 days 5 hours. He was on the back foot before he begun, as he will be forced to take an inland route around Kaikoura, adding 110km to what Bauer did.

Stuff will check in with Newburn throughout his 18-day journey. He will venture through Bulls and Sanson on Monday.