Avid runner sets five days of 50km challenges to support Goldfields families with sick kids

A passionate Kalgoorlie-Boulder runner has set himself a physically and emotionally gruelling challenge to support local families with sick children.

Jayden McKenna will run 50km a day for five consecutive days in a bid to raise funds for the Rotary Club of Boulder’s Goldfields Family Assistance Fund.

The fund provides financial support for families travelling to and staying in Perth for their children’s medical care.

McKenna aims to raise $10,000 for the cause via a GoFundMe campaign titled 5 Days of Running 50 k’s — For Goldfields Families, which has already reached more than $3800.

“I always had the thought of doing a run and giving back,” he said.

“Being a local and seeing what the Goldfields Family Assistance Fund does, I thought ‘what better way to give back to the local community’.

“If I can do something hard for five days to make life a little easier for someone else, I’ll consider it a privilege.”

The bold campaign will begin on July 20 when McKenna runs a 50km ultramarathon from Coolgardie to Ray Finlayson Sporting Complex as part of this year’s Goldfields Pipeline Marathon.

He will tackle the same course in reverse the following day.

Then, inspired by the city’s historic Balzano Barrow Race which has not taken place in more than a decade, McKenna will push a barrow from Centennial Park to the abandoned town of Kanowna and back on day three.

“I wanted to try and relive a little bit of history,” he said.

On day four he will run laps of Karlkurla Bushland Park, before completing his final 50km run around Kalgoorlie Golf Course on July 24.

The 32-year-old said he had been working on his endurance fitness leading up to the challenge.

“Training has been pretty good, over the last four days I’ve put a few kilometres in the legs,” he said.

“Whenever I’ve done an event, the next day I think, could I back it up and do it again?

“Because that’s a lot harder than the (first) day.

“They’re all going to be hard, but towards the end it’ll get harder and harder.

“Day four and five are going to be the hard ones.”

The community is encouraged to get behind the cause in whatever way they can, either by making a donation, sharing the campaign, or cheering him on in person at Karlkurla Bushland Park or Kalgoorlie Golf Course.

McKenna’s GoFundMe page can be found at gofund.me/b9bb5cef.

Locals can join the journey by running a kilometre, walking a lap, or even attempting the full 50km challenge alongside him.

McKenna’s campaign can be followed on Instagram @fuelmycup.