IN a massive feat of endurance, Melbourne-based Linden Tolhurst will be running from Tallarook to Mansfield in an epic 121 kilometre journey to raise funds and awareness for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Hitting the gravel of the Great Victorian Rail Trail and heading off in the dark, Linden will be leaving Tallarook Pool at 4am on Saturday October 28
He aims to cover 30 kilometres every four hours, allowing himself just one hour reprieve to stop, rest and rehydrate.
And quite possibly weep.
The run holds personal significance for Linden, whose partner Prue was diagnosed with MS in 2018.
Latest Stories
He is hoping to raise over $3500 for MS Plus to contribute to the work the organisation does providing support networks and specialists nurses to assist those living with MS.
Linden envisages the run will take 17 hours, completing the final stretch as the sun begins to set on the High Country.
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.
“In July, I ran a marathon as part of the You Yangs Trail Running Festival which offers up (in running terminology) more ‘technical’ trails so it’s all about foot placement,” he said.
And more recently he undertook a 55 kilometre run - his longest yet - in preparation.
“It’s not practical to train up to the distance I’m planning to cover, as it just increases the injury risk,” he said.
In May 2022 - preceding his fundraising commitment and serving as a source of inspiration - Linden took part in the O’Keefe Challenge, which weaves its way through bushland, open fields, farms near Heathcote and past Lake Eppalock.
“It’s very important to mix up training, running on a variety of surfaces and at different elevations,” Linden confirmed.
“Otherwise you get very good at running long distance on a flat surface, and then you throw in a bit of elevation and your whole strategy falls apart.”
Linden spoke to local running coach Liam Delany who gave him some valuable insights on the local rail trail, and its quality and overall stability.
“He was very generous with his time and knowledge and has helped to build my confidence heading into the challenge,” said Linden.
Which has been necessary, as Linden was hit a curve-ball at the start of last month.
“Everything was progressing smoothly and then I came down with a bout of pneumonia, which effectively put the brakes on my training," he said.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle as I need my lungs.
“However as I’m at the business end of the campaign, I have just had to get back out there and run."
Which he did, opting for a more measured half marathon in Berwick in mid-September, after taking a week off to recover.
“It was thoroughly unpleasant, but that’s part of why I’m doing this run, to really push myself and challenge my comfort zone,” he said.
Linden admits an incentive to undertake the challenge was to understand how his partner Prue feels on a daily basis living with MS.
“With running you get tired and fatigued,” said Linden.
“You might experience leg pain and feel disoriented.
“This is a way for me to experience at some level what it’s like for Prue.
“For Prue this is her every day.
“For me this is just one day, but this is a way for me to say that I am in this with her,” he said.
Linden was quick to reiterate that the challenge however is not about him.
“It’s about raising money and awareness of the invaluable work that MS Plus does,” he said.
Despite being a ‘hobby’ runner since his teens, Linden has never attempted such an ambitious distance and is conscientious of not letting his supporters down.
“I’m really hopeful that I will get it done in one day,” he said.
With an eight-strong support crew to help him reach his goal, Linden has broken the run into achievable milestones with first aid stations set up at strategic points along the trail.
“When I hit the Bonnie Doon Bridge, I also have three friends and two representatives from MS Plus who will join me for the final 21 kilometre stretch, providing that additional moral support,” Linden said.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this without the help of my family, friends and incredibly supportive partner Prue.
“They’ve donated their time, and their energy and their money to this cause, and I just want to say ‘thank you’.
“And now all I want to do is get out there and start running.”
If you would like to support Linden's run and donate to MS Plus, you can via https://www.doitforms.org.au/fundraisers/lindentolhurst
