‘Mayos Marathon Madness’: Queenstown the Final Stop of Charity Challenge
Harry Mayo has never run a marathon before yet tomorrow, the 23-year-old from Christchurch will complete the 42.2km Queenstown Marathon off the back of 20 consecutive days of running totalling more than 400km.
‘Mayos Marathon Madness’ as Harry has coined his challenge, is an incredible feat of endurance to help raise money and awareness for mental health charity I Am Hope.
“It started with wanting to keep the fitness up during the off season for rugby and to complete a full marathon. A bit of competitiveness came out and that's where I was keen to set myself this goal. After a couple of reality check attempts my mind was made up. It just went from there,” said Harry.
In total, the Cantabrian will run 462km in 21 days. His journey began on Sunday 27 October with two kilometres, and every day since then he has added an additional two kilometres to his runs. On Saturday, when he crosses the finish line of the Queenstown Marathon, his challenge will be complete.
“As the distance increases each day, changes such as running in the afternoon to have the right fuel onboard have been key. I've unsurprisingly found out that rolling out of bed to run 20km isn't the best prep. The last week is pretty hectic, so breaking down target numbers into smaller runs throughout the day is another tactic,” he said.
“I've had a few mates jump on board for a lot of the runs which has made it a lot easier. Recovery has been a huge part of the journey, starting with a makeshift shift ice bath using the bathtub at home, it has progressed to using some pretty cool gadgets from the team at RecoveryTec.”
Harry is attempting to raise thousands of dollars for I Am Hope to help support young people struggling with their mental health.
“A massive issue young people face day in day out is dealing with pressure and being able to talk about their mental health. The work I Am Hope do to not only normalise having these conversations, but providing access to professional services is huge,” said Harry.
“It means a lot to do this challenge for such an impactful charity, it gives me a lot more determination when lacing up the shoes each day. It reminds me that while some of the runs are tough, I'm running for people out there in a battle with themselves who are doing it a lot tougher.”
Even though Harry will likely reach the start line of the Queenstown Marathon tired and sore, he is determined to enjoy the final run of his epic challenge. And, as he says, what better place to do it?
“After completing a half marathon in December 2023, I was keen to head down to Queenstown to give the full a crack. I pretty much thought if I’m going to be in the hurt locker for 42km, I might as well do it surrounded by pretty cool scenery,” said Harry.
To follow Harry’s journey and find out how to support his challenge for I Am Hope, search @mayosmarathonmadness on Instagram.
