John Wilson has spent years running a crazy amount of distances for a cause close to his heart. Photo: John Wilson.
295.4 kilometres, that’s how far this Canberra born and bred man is planning to run for a good cause as he endeavours to conquer seven marathons in seven states across seven days for the fifth time.
A Liquor Legends shop owner by day and marathon runner by night, John Wilson is putting his body and mind to the ultimate test to raise funds for Bravehearts, an organisation dedicated to combatting child sexual abuse.
John says the cause is one very close to his heart.
“It’s been great to take part in because of course it challenges me mentally and physically. But raising money and awareness for sexual abuse around children is something I take very seriously on a personal level,” John says.
“This year there’s actually going to be eight of us from Canberra taking part in the challenge, some of us have been doing it for a while but we also have some newcomers which is great to see.”
Since his first multi-marathon mission in 2019, John and his fellow runners have managed to raise more than $75,000 for the organisation. They hope this year to hit the $100,000 mark.
To help achieve the six-figure goal, the group is hosting a trivia night at The Durham Castle Arms pub on Thursday, 23 May.
“We’re really excited to have a good night at a great pub and encourage anyone interested in donating money to a cause we need to get behind,” John says.
The night will include lucky door prizes and giveaways while enjoying a great meal and a few drinks as you test out your trivia capabilities.
The trivia night at The Durham Castle Arms is hoping to bring in plenty of support for John’s mission. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
The team kicks off its challenge in Perth in July before heading to Adelaide, Launceston, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra before finishing at the Gold Coast.
John says he and the team have been training for months in preparation for the event.
“As a group we have been trying to run between 50 and 100 kilometres a week to prepare ourselves.
“I’ve been doing a lot running, especially in the water with my trainer Di who is in her 70s but is still very active and is a great motivation. She really helps with my technique which is a massive help.”
John says he feels extremely lucky to have the support of his Liquor Legend crew as he prepares for the challenge again.
“We’ve been promoting it for a few months now and have managed to raise around $14,000 so we’re hoping that by the time we actually start the challenge we’ll have raised enough to get us over that line.
“It’s a lot of hard work but I really love the opportunity to raise money and awareness for an organisation that does so much for a cause I’m so passionate about.”
Join in the trivia night on Thursday, 23 May. Tickets are $20 a head and can be purchased via The Durham Castle Arms.
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