Why would I want to run 84km in a row?!
Eighty four kilometres, that’s two marathons, back to back. The furthest I’ve raced prior is 14km, and run in a day is 24km. When I tell people I run, I’ll often get asked – “Have you run a marathon?” or “When are you going to run to a marathon?” Running a marathon hasn’t ever been on my radar, knowing the time commitment and huge mileage required. And then there is ultra running…
An ultra marathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres.
On March 12th I was asked if I would be interested in running The Bali-Hope Ultra Marathon. The more I looked into it, the harder it was to say no. Let me give you a run down on what the race entails and why I said yes.
The Race
The Bali Hope Ultra is a unique challenge. The 84km run starts at the beach on the north coast of Bali an hour before sunset. The first 20km involves a 5500ft climb before the route has us traverse the island, through the course of the night. The run finishes the next morning at the stunning surfers’ paradise of Seminyak beach as the sun rises.
The Cause
The 2018 Bali Hope Ultra aims to fund 100 disadvantaged children through primary school. Away from the tourist highlights, Bali has areas of high poverty, with some families living on little more than $2 a day. The Bali Hope Ultra Marathon has partnered with Classroom of Hope; Classroom of Hope are an Australian award winning charity doing things differently. Classroom Of Hope deliver the highest impact possible and have a powerful track-record of lifting communities out of poverty.
Driving factors
Bali holds a place close to my heart, it was the first place I went overseas growing up. Returning over a dozen times from 2005 – 2013, I became very fond of the culture and the people there. I learnt from at a young age from my experiences in Bali, that you didn’t need materialistic things to be happy and how powerful a positive mindset can be. My family would bring a suitcase of clothes each trip we went on and the delight it would bring to the families/small village that received it was magic. To go back on my own and join the team with the aim to raise money and educate these children is a massive driving factor for me. To have the opportunity to better and change another’s life I do not take for granted and want to grasp that with both hands.
As I writer, my pieces are often themed around pushing oneself out of the comfort zone and the great places this often leads to. I definitely do my best to live by these words. This ultra marathon is going to push me well outside of my comfort zone, exert any physical boundaries, test me mentally, challenge my discipline and ultimately drive me to do something bigger than myself.
How can YOU be apart of this too?
My aim is to raise $5000 towards our combined goal of $100,000. I would absolutely love your support, and no matter what the amount, it all goes a long way for the children in Bali!
Just click on the link below, and it will take you straight to my fundraising page!
If you’re on Strava, you can follow along here too.
https://www.strava.com/athletes/19339625
Let’s hit this out the ball park!
Josh Lynott.
Good on you Josh!