Blue Mountains 100km Ultra Marathon Run/Walk/Crawl/Cry

Family, friends, colleagues, and team mates,

As some of you may already be aware (mainly because we can’t stop talking about it) we have optimistically and very foolishly decided to run / walk / crawl / cry our way through the Ultra-Trail Australia 100km ultra-marathon (50km race for Keith) in the Blue Mountains this May…

After months of training, numerous early morning runs and ‘limited’ amounts of alcohol… The time has come for the big one.

The equivalent of 2.5 marathons, with an elevation of 4,300m… Some say it will take 16 hours, others 20 hours, and some the maximum 28 hours. All we know is that the start time is 7am on Saturday 14th May, and we have until 11am the following day to (hopefully) cross the finish line.

Between the four of us we’ve completed a few Spartans / Tough Mudders, some lengthy trial runs and a couple of marathons (1 dressed as a womble… cheers Matty) – but nothing compared to this! So if you were to say we are biting off more than we can chew, that would probably be an understatement.

But enough about us and the torture we’ll be putting our bodies through. The real purpose of this page is to ask for your support…

We’ve selected three charities that are really important to us and would really appreciate it if you could dig deep and find a little (or a lot) of spare cash that might otherwise go on a night out or a new item of clothing etc. Anything is truly appreciated and will spur us on through the day (and the night) giving us the motivation to reach the finish line knowing that our efforts and your generosity are going to some great causes that make a difference.

We are aiming to raise $5,000 (roughly 2,500 pounds for the good people back in our homeland) across the three charities – a huge task, but hopefully one we’ll achieve with your support.

Below are the three charities that we’ve selected and why. Please donate what you can, and spread across multiple charities where possible.

We really do appreciate your support, and know it will help us get across the finish line!!

Sam, Dan, Matty & Keith

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National Stroke Foundation Australia:

Stroke is one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability. Stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.

Dan feels extremely passionate about creating awareness for this charity and supporting them as they provide ongoing support to those families that have been affected by one of Australia’s biggest killers.

The Stroke Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness, preventing stroke, facilitating research, improving treatment and making life better for stroke survivors. Find out more at: https://www.strokefoundation.com.au/

Hearts In Union:

Hearts in Union is a charity that has been set up to assist rugby players that have suffered spinal injuries while playing the sport. This is a charity that is close to Matty’s heart and is also strongly supported by his rugby club – Waverley Rugby Club.

In his current role, all too often, he meets people who have suffered spinal injuries, most of the time during freak accidents. He sees the physical and emotional strain first hand and the financial struggle this can cause. Hearts in Union aim to ensure those severely injured players who are suffering financial hardship receive the best possible support throughout their lives. These type of accidents can happen to anyone who play the game. It could be a friend or a loved one.

This outrageous run he has signed himself up to has taken over his life for the last few months and one of his strongest motivations for training and waking up early to go on 5 hour runs is knowing the money raised will be helping change people's lives for the better. Any donation no matter how big and small will be much appreciated. Find out more at: http://www.heartsinunion.com.au/

Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation Australia:

Sam’s nominated the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation for all the important women in our lives, and especially for the support they have given us over the past six months as we whinge and moan about our training.

The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation is one of Australia’s pre-eminent bodies supporting ovarian cancer research. Their goal is to raise awareness and vital funds for the development of an early detection test that will save women’s lives.

Ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death from a gynaecological cancer in Australia. Worldwide almost a quarter of a million women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year and it is responsible for almost 150,000 deaths annually. Ovarian cancer due to lack of specific early signs is usually diagnosed at advanced stage when a cure is difficult to achieve. Find out more at: http://www.ocrf.com.au/