By Danielle Kutchel
A Nyora woman is running a marathon a day for six days to raise funds for kids entering out-of-home-care.
Jade Cranton, a founder of Runmum group, will run a 42.2 kilometres each day for six days, starting on 18 October, to raise awareness and funds for Backpacks 4 VIC Kids (B4VK) as part of the Run 4 Vic Kids fundraiser.
Her route will start in Bairnsdale and end in Cranbourne West at B4VK’s headquarters.
She’ll make stops in Stratford, Rosedale, Morwell, Darnum, and Tynong before finishing in Cranbourne West.
If restrictions haven’t eased in time, she’ll loop back into Gippsland to complete the journey.
It’s an impressive feat – made even more so by the fact that Ms Cranton only took up running in 2012.
She readily admits she is not naturally athletic at all, to the point where her mother would sign her out of school cross country.
But she’s come to love running for its rewards and the supportive community the sport has built.
Ms Cranton said she had done some fundraising for B4VK before and had organised some smaller running events in support of the charity, but never something on this scale.
She’s been stepping up her training with a focus on long runs to get her legs used to the fatigue.
She is also building up the muscle “between the ears” by focusing on her ‘why’; the reason for her run.
“When it hurts, it’s the why that keeps you going,” she explained.
Ms Cranton’s why is several-fold: gratitude for being able to access the basics in life; a desire to make a difference and “raise awareness for those that are often left in the shadows”; and the thought of the 45,000 Australian children placed into foster care or emergency accommodation every year.
Others are able to join Ms Cranton by signing up for their own Run 4 Vic Kids challenge, with several run lengths available.
The fundraiser aims to raise $10,000, which will be used to create quality filled backpacks and gift packs for vulnerable children.
To register for the run or donate, visit https://www.mycause.com.au/events/run4vickids
Follow Ms Cranton’s journey at https://www.facebook.com/Run-4-VIC-Kids-110925137746191
