Bond University students pushed through the pain barrier and an overnight thunderstorm to run a combined 3500km during a 24-hour fundraising marathon.
The run, part of a month-long student fundraiser for mental health and cancer charity Movember, raised $9000, with 160 students covering distances from 5km to more than 100km.
But it was exercise and sports science student and run organiser Finn Anderson who went the distance, jogging through a wet and wild night to cover 112km between noon Sunday and noon yesterday.
Mr Anderson, who has lost friends to suicide and cancer, completed 60 laps of the Bond University campus.
“I just want to stop men dying so young,” he said.
“I’ve lost a couple of close mates so if I can go and do something dumb like this and start a conversation, that’s the least I can do.”
The storms that swept across the Gold Coast on Sunday night made for challenging conditions.
“It was a bit hectic being wet the whole time, but having everyone around me helped,” Mr Anderson said.
“I’ve had half an hour’s sleep so I’m a bit delirious.”
Bond University law student Faith Murazak signed up hoping to run 20km but ended up doing 70km.
“I was thinking, what am I doing to myself? Especially when the storm hit,” she said.
“But it’s a mental game and if you can get through that, you’re fine.
“It’s been amazing seeing how motivated Finn is. He just kept rolling past saying, ‘I don’t care, I’m getting it done.”
With several events still to go, the students hope to reach their goal of $25,000.