Some of the 90 locals taking part in the Run Against Violence challenge, gathered at Knapsack Reserve in Glenbrook on Wednesday November 22, to mark the start of the challenge.
More than 1000 Australian runners will be part of the team event, running for the second time from Broken Hill to Sydney in a "virtual team challenge".
During the challenge, participants walk or run in their local area and then upload their distances to a website. Their data is aggregated with that of their fellow team members and participants then watch their team track across a map from Broken Hill to Sydney. To be successful, the team has to cover 1300km in the 19 days of the event.
Running coach Lyndal Maloney from Serotonin Running said she was delighted to be part of a challenge which looks to make a difference in the community and shatter the silence around family violence.
"By raising awareness of the issue, we can talk about it more openly, and help point people in the right direction for help. It is wonderful to see so many from our running community taking steps together in this fund raising challenge," Ms Maloney said.
Serotonin Running had 30 runners, including Ms Maloney, in three teams taking part this year.
The virtual challenge retraces the real world route of a 2017 marathon completed by Kirrily Dear who co-founded the international event. Last year 2200 people signed on.
Run Against Violence (RAV) is a volunteer organisation that encourages people to remove those social barriers through starting constructive and inclusive conversations. RAV supports that process through delivering awareness campaigns, community activities and sharing stories.
- If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) for help and advice.
