Running 50 Marathons In 50 Days at 21 Years Old

Published: 27/02/2019

January 4- February 22, 2019

What an incredible 50 days.

I am still pinching myself from the sight of seeing the herds of people joining me wearing Jog for Joey singlets and hats. Jog for Joey stemmed from my need to honour my mate; a compassionate and big-hearted individual.

Throughout the 50 days, I felt his presence. Every time I smiled at somebody with a big ear-to-ear grin or gave them a big handshake, he sprung to mind as that was exactly what he would have done. His aura became ever more present as the Jog for Joey community grew, notably during marathons #25, #38 and #45 at the Vermont, Waverly Blues and Glen Waverly Hawks Football club, where I ran with many of his former teammates, friends and anyone that was lucky enough to acquaint themselves with him.

Personally, my favourite marathon was #42 when I ran with the Richmond Football Club. The mighty tigers were what brought us close together and symbolised our friendship, so for the club to allow his family and me to run with the players was amazing, making it a day to never forget.

Conversely, my least favourite was #19. A sudden pain at kilometre 24 in what would later be diagnosed as a grade 1 right quadricep tear, stopped me in my tracks. Not being able to run- I was forced to walk to the finish. A grade one tear usually prevents exercise for 1-2 weeks, subsequently making running a marathon each consecutive day following a real test. This extracted everything out of me mentally, physically and emotionally.

Through these difficult periods quitting was never an option. The reasons behind the 50 in 50 were greater than any discomfort of mine.

Reflecting on the journey after the marathons, I came across a quote that resonated with me.

‘When the heart rules the head, passion takes over reason’– Ortega y Gasset

This journey was not easy. It was very hard, but my passion to honour my mate and support grieving families took over reason.

We can achieve anything we set our mind to in life, but we must find strong enough reasons WHY to keep going. We must want it bad enough within our hearts so that when we are uncomfortable, we can push through the pain and adversity.

I would like to thank everyone that supported me through the 50 in 50. I would not have achieved this on my own. It was beautiful to see a large community of selfless people unite. From the runners that came out to run with me, to everyone that donated to The Compassionate Friends Charity, thank you from the bottom of my heart.