Bond University students pushed through the pain barrier and a thunderstorm to run a combined 3500km during a 24-hour fundraising marathon earlier this month.
The run, part of a month-long student fundraiser for mental health and cancer charity Movember, raised $9000, with 160 students covering distances between five and 100+ kilometres.
But it was exercise and sports science student and run organiser Finn Anderson who went the distance, jogging through a wet and wild night to cover 112km in a 24-hour period.
Anderson, who has lost friends to suicide and cancer, completed 60 laps of the Bond University campus.
“I just want to stop men dying so young,” he says.
“I’ve lost a couple of close mates so if I can go and do something dumb like this and start a conversation, that’s the least I can do.”
“It was a bit hectic being wet the whole time, but having everyone around me helped. I’ve had half an hour’s sleep, so I’m a bit delirious.”
Full speed ahead to the Finn-ish line
Bond University law student Faith Murazak signed up hoping to run 20km but ended up doing 70km.
“I was thinking, what am I doing to myself? Especially when the storm hit,” she says.
“But it’s a mental game and if you can get through that, you’re fine.
“It’s been amazing seeing how motivated Finn is. He just kept rolling past saying, ‘I don’t care, I’m getting it done.”
With several events still to go, the students hope to reach their goal of $25,000.
