Ultramarathon fundraiser for MS along the GVRT
Running a marathon is a big enough challenge, but running three marathons in a day is a massive feat of endurance. That’s what Linden Tolhurst did to raise funds for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) on Saturday, October 28, 2023.
Hitting the gravel of the Great Victorian Rail Trail and heading off in the dark at 4:00am from Tallarook, Linden covered the 120kms to Mansfield in 17-hours. The run held a personal significance for Linden whose partner Prue was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2018. This year, Prue had some quite significant treatment for MS and part of that was wondering “What can I do?”
His challenge was to raise $3,500 for MS Plus – a support network for people with MS in Australia – but he exceeded his goal by raising just over $5,600.
The idea has been almost a year in the making, with Linden putting in the hard yards to get his body and mind into peak physical condition to tackle the challenge. Breaking up the training, Linden has run on gravel and asphalt, on flat and undulating terrain, he’s hit dirt trails and completed marathons in the build-up.
Linden says the incentive to undertake the challenge was to understand how his partner feels living with MS daily. “With running you get tired and fatigued,” says Linden. “You might experience leg pain and feel disorientated. “This a way for me to experience at some level what it’s like for Prue. “For Prue, this is her every day”.
Despite being a ‘hobby’ runner since his teens, Linden had never attempted such an ambitious distance and was conscientious of not letting his supporters down. With a five-strong support crew to help him reach his goal, Linden broke the run into achievable milestones along the trail. His aim was to cover 30 kilometres every four hours, allowing himself a reprieve to stop, rest and rehydrate. An amazing effort.
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