My Journey From A Football Bench Warmer to a Running World Record Holder

You don't run on entire lap around Australia and not reflect on the journey. I've created a 1.5 hour podcast that dives deep into my journey for those who love to watch or listen. And for those who love to read, I’ve tried to summarise such a huge journey into a blog post for you.

This is my story; how being a football warmer in 2014, drove me to become the person that I am today, and how my first marathon culminated in running around Australia.

Running has always been there for me
Don’t let anyone tell you that running is just about putting one foot in front of the other. If you’re like me, you know that running can be one of the greatest support pillars in your life. Running has always been more than just a sport to me—it’s been my anchor, my teacher, and my path to growth. In as simple words as I can put it: It has changed my life for the better.
Running has shown me that incredible things are possible if you’re willing to work for them.

20 years have gone by and my love for running has only deepened.

My First Marathon
In October 2017, I ran my first marathon. At the time, I had no idea how much that one event would shape the rest of my life. Crossing that finish line wasn’t just about completing 42 kilometres - it was about proving to myself that I could achieve something I once thought was impossible. That day planted a seed in me, one that would grow into a deep passion for running, self-improvement, and inspiring others to chase their own personal and professional goals.

A Bold Vision: Announcing the Run Around Australia
In April, 2018, I announced a ridiculous goal to the world; that in the future (2021) I would run around Australia. After losing my friend and football teammate in 2016, I wanted to honour him by running around the country and raising money for charity.
I knew it was ambitious, I mean seriously, I’d only run 1 marathon at the time, and was training for another 60km Ultra (The Great Ocean Rd 60k Ultra), so it was fair enough for people to tell me it was impossible. I just had this belief within me that if I respected the journey enough to give it years of preparation, compounded with relentless hard work, I could make it happen. I craved a challenge that would push me to my physical and mental limits, directly help others through charity, and indirectly inspire others along the way. All I ever wanted growing up was to be an athlete, and that dream has never left me. So, I became a man on a mission to find people who had walked the path before me, with an attitude of never-ending learning. As a young 20-year-old with a dream, I reached out to Samantha Gash (who had run back-to-back ultra-marathons across India for World Vision), Dave Alley (the previous record holder before me for the fastest run around Australia - running the required 13,383km in 169 days, 15 hours and 31 minutes, at a staggering average of 79.5k per day) Matt Daniels (who had run 55 marathons in 55 days, and 535 half marathons in 535 half days) and Jase and DJ, who became my coaches (mostly Jase - they were partners, but it was Jase who I worked with day-to-day). These individuals taught me the importance of preparation, resilience, and unwavering belief in a vision. I give them so much credit because I simply wouldn’t be who I am today without them, and it was their generosity and insights, coupled with my relentless dedication over 6 years, that allowed me to shine in my run around Australia.

Meeting Dave for the first time in August, 2018.

Personal Running Goals: A Journey of Never-Ending Improvement
While this was unknown to me until a couple of years ago, ultimately, my journey followed the Japanese philosophy Kaizen, which involves ‘the commitment to make small, incremental changes that lead to big improvements over time.’

This blog post would be too long to go through everything, which is why I created the podcast sharing my journey so far. As an overview, this is what my journey has looked like since I made the commitment to one day run around Aus, back in 2018:

May 2018: 60KM Great Ocean Road Ultra - My First Ultramarathon.
Jan- Feb 2019: 50 Marathons in 50 Days.
May 2019: 84KM Bali Hope Ultra (Winner in 8 Hours, 14 Minutes, 42 Seconds).
July 2019: 24 Hour Run 1: 170.20km.
May 2020: 24 Hour Run 2: 181.48km.
Feb 2021: Hut2Hut 100km Ultra (which became 2 x 54km Ultras back to back due to Covid).
June 2024: Run For Wishes Trial Run (4 x 60km days back to back at Wilson’s Prom).
October 2021: 4 x 4 x 48 Goggins Challenge.
January 2022: Two Bays 56km Ultra.
April - June 2022: Cairns to Melbourne Run For Wishes - 4001km in 60 days. This was a COVID backstop when I realised it wouldn’t be possible to run around Australia in 2021.
Jan 2023: Beerwah At Night Half Marathon.
April 2023: 24 Hour Run 3: 201.62km.
May 2023: 106km Across Bali supporting runners through the Bali Hope Ultra.
June 2023: BVRT 200 Mile Ultra (Winner in 53 Hours, 21 Minutes and 37 Seconds).
And many other half-marathons, marathons, and ultras along the way, either supporting the athletes I coach, or as training runs. To dive deeper into the races and trial events that helped prepare for the run around Australia, click here to read more.

Work: Becoming a Coach
As I worked toward my own running goals, I felt a growing desire to help others achieve theirs. With a solid foundation in exercise science, earned through my Bachelor of Physical Activity and Health Science in 2018, I began my career as a Personal Trainer in early 2019. By late 2019, it was a natural progression to transition into run coaching, supported by completing a Level 1 Recreational Running course with Athletics Australia. From there, I learned from Jase daily, and as my knowledge deepened, so did my passion for coaching. Then, in 2022 I obtained my Level 2 Recreational Running Coaching qualifications through Athletics Australia, and now have the skills to be able to tailor training programs to an individual; based on their goals, fitness background, lifestyle etc.

Key Moments Over My Journey

The journey to running around Australia has been so much more than a physical challenge. It was a series of moments that tested my resilience, taught me invaluable lessons, and reinforced to me how precious life is. Here are some of the most impactful moments:

• April 2022: On Day 7 of my Cairns to Melbourne run, I received the devastating news of the sudden loss of my coach, business partner, and close friend, Jase. Losing someone you love is never easy, and it was even harder while running ultramarathons daily. I reminded myself that I wouldn’t be out there running for wishes if it weren’t for Jase’s guidance and support. With that in mind, I gritted my teeth and kept going. His loss was a powerful reminder of how short life can be, reinforcing the importance of pursuing our passions, playing to our strengths, and helping others along the way. I turned my pain into purpose.

• June 2023: Winning the BVRT 200 Miler was huge for me. It was when I truly knew within myself that I was ready to run around Australia. For all these years I believed that I could, but after winning a 200-mile / 322km (non-stop) race, where my goal was to simply go the distance, I genuinely knew that I could do it, and that was a beautiful feeling.

• January 2024: Just seven weeks before the biggest event of my life, I developed a tibial stress fracture. Years of preparation were suddenly at risk. I was terrified as I couldn’t change the start date, but I had to have blind faith that come March 10th, 2024, I would be ready. With the help of my team and relentless grit, I found a way to recover and press on.

• April 2024: On Day 2 of the run around Australia, I faced brutal 39°C heat and threw up twice by 5:30 am. I thought how the F&*K am I going to do this? I overcame those feelings by breaking that day down into manageable 5–6-kilometre segments, which formed a solid formula for some of the other brutal days to come.

• June 2024: On Day 82 around Kununurra, WA, I accidentally missed a key left turn to stay on the A1 National Hwy, and accidentally continued running straight towards Wyndham. That misstep cost me 57.8 kilometres that day – I ran 28.9km the wrong way before realising my mistake and ran another 28.9km to get back on course. It was a humbling reminder that sometimes no matter how prepared you are, things can still go wrong.

• Nausea was a constant battle: Over the 174 days of running (166 around mainland Australia and another 8 down and back up Tasmania), I threw up on approximately 140 of them. Every single day, I made the choice to keep moving forward. My purpose—honour my coach, my football teammate, and run for Make-A-Wish-Australia to help sick kids achieve their number one wish.
  
  Crossing the Finish Line: The MCG

  Reaching the finish line at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was a moment I’ll never forget. It was the culmination of years of work, sacrifice, and belief—not just in myself, but in the power of a community united by purpose. Pure elation is the only way I can describe it. ‘Giddy up’ chants began outside the MCG, and it was amazing to feel the impact I had on other people’s lives by putting it all on the line. I hope my run inspired those following along to chase their own personal and professional dreams.

The Cost of the Journey

Every journey has its price, and for me, the physical toll of running around Australia is bigger than I imagined. I knew I wasn’t going to get out the other side scot-free, but I also didn’t envision I would develop Freiberg’s infraction, or Freiberg’s disease, which is a serious and nasty bone injury of the foot. To run a total of 14,530km from March 10th to September 3rd, 2024, is insane looking back. When I was in it, I just reminded myself how much I wanted every day, but when you look back now, it’s crazy to think that I had nearly done 3 years’ worth of running in 6 months (as a consistent ultra-runner I typically average 5,000km of running per year). It’s been 4.5 months now since I finished my Run For Wishes, and I am no-where near running. I’m still in limbo with the right direction to take with my foot – non-surgical or surgical and I expect to be out from running for many months to come. It sucks. It’s hard. But it’s all apart of the journey. It’s a reminder that everything in life - especially the big goals - come with a cost. Despite this, I wouldn’t change a thing. The lessons, the people, and the lives impacted along the way made it all worth it.

Work: Speaking: Giddy Up To Level Up Your Life
Running around Australia in record time wasn’t just a physical challenge; it was a test of mindset, resilience, and teamwork - the same principles I bring to corporate audiences through my speaking. I’m back on the speaking circuit with a powerful message: “Giddy up to level up your life.”
For me, giddy up meant running around Australia in record time. For your team, it might mean achieving something they’ve been putting off: improving health, upskilling for a promotion, or breaking through personal barriers. Wherever they’re at on their journey, I’m here to help your team: Set powerful goals, grow, take extreme ownership, build resilience, harness teamwork, cultivate a high-performance mindset, and ultimately, live a life they’re proud of—professionally and personally.
Read more on LinkedIn - Click here

Work: A New Chapter - Sean Bell Run Coaching:

What started as First42K continues to evolve. In April 2021, I launched First42K with Jase and DJ to help people run their first marathon. Over the past three years, we’ve supported over 100 runners in achieving their goals. After my recent run around Australia, in November 2024, DJ and I rebranded to JDS Run Coaching, representing “Joy, Discipline, and Success.” This name also paid tribute to Jase, as JDS stood for Jase, DJ, and Sean.

On this podcast, I shared that my journey as an athlete has been shaped by incredible coaches and mentors. Now, recovering from running around Australia and focusing on helping others with their running, I’ve been seeking business mentors to help me grow and reach more people. And now, in January 2025, following advice from fitness business coaches, we’ve decided to rebrand again as Sean Bell Run Coaching. DJ remains an integral business partner, which is very important to me. However, the advice was that people follow people, not brands, and rebranding under my name would help us make the greatest impact. Our mission remains the same: to help people love running, grow with discipline, and achieve inevitable success. Whether it’s running a first 5K, marathon, chasing a PB, or tackling an ultra, coaching isn’t just about tailored plans and strategies - it’s about providing expert guidance and support to show people that with effort, they can achieve their goals and far more than they believe.

Why I Share My Story

My run around Australia journey has taught me that anyone can achieve extraordinary things with the right mindset, discipline, and a willingness to embrace the hard work. If I could go from a bench warmer to a world record holder in the space of 10 years, then you can achieve greatness too.
My story isn’t just about running; it’s about life. It’s about showing up every day, no matter how tough things get, and taking one step closer to your goal.

To anyone reading this: Start where you are and take it one step at a time. And when things get hard, remember your reasons why and keep on going.

Giddy up 🐎