Ultra marathon runner Glenn Sutton, of Dunedin, will be running from Milford Sound to Dunedin, a journey of 617 km, as a fundraiser for Farmstrong — the nationwide wellbeing programme for the rural community.
The 50-year-old joiner will start his run on Tuesday, and he aims to complete his journey at Emerson’s Brewery on April 20.
Sutton said he wanted to bridge the gap not just in distance but in solidarity for mental health in farming communities.
Last year he lost a good family friend who was a farmer.
He and his team decided that choosing Farmstrong as the charity to support for this run was the "obvious choice".
"Often farmers are isolated and working long hard hours every day seven days a week, they don’t see other people outside of the farm often.
"Mental health is a real struggle, I personally have friends and family members in town that at times struggle and it is easy to pop in and check on them, it’s not so easy to pop in on those out on isolated farms."
Sutton said he had a group of his good mates and his core crew supporting him the whole way.
He is also encouraging people to join him along the way, whether that is by running with him or simply cheering him on.
Sutton has become well known as an ultra-marathoner, completing events including the Badwater 135, Southern Lakes Ultra and Northburn 100 Miler.
In 2021 he ran from Milford Sound to Mt Cook, a total of 570km which he ran non-stop, raising over $20,000 for the Otago Community Hospice.
To give, visit givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/sounds-to-town
