Author’s Note: Jason Rantall committed to running more than 30 kilometres a day for 100 days. We are sitting on his porch after he just finished run number 98. Jason has ice packs strapped to his feet and more ice packs strapped to his ankles and he is sucking on an icicle with a coffee and a broth at the ready. We are not here to discuss why he ran, but how he managed mentally and physically to complete a feat most of us could not contemplate doing. This is a story of courage and commitment.
Jason decided to finish this epic 100 day run by pushing himself even harder and combining the last two runs into one 24 hour sleepless stint. He invited people to sponsor him and guess how many kilometres he would run, with all the money to go to his cause Bettermentall Health Inc.
But Jason wasn’t always fit and wasn’t always as capable. We go back to who he was and how he changed just a few short years ago.
“I was 99 kilos. I was an alcoholic. I was mentally unwell, physically unwell, spiritually lost. The whole of me was just broken. I just drank in the shed. I didn’t associate with people. I didn’t go anywhere with my family. They’d go out and I’d just drink all day. I’d feel guilt at first, but I’d get smashed and party alone with the music blaring.
“One day – after years of this – my wife Kerry said to me, ‘Jase, I can’t do this anymore’ and she meant it. I gave up smoking that night and next morning I ran 2.3k. I was determined to get it done even though it was a very hot day and I was unfit. I was in stubby shorts and a T-shirt and I didn’t even have proper runners. But somehow I ran every step of that first effort and that was the turning point.”
Some weeks into his incredible run, your scribe called Jason and he said, “I’m injured mate and I can’t run,” which I took to mean he had given up. Then he added, “So I am walking the 35ks.” This meant he was starting at three or four in the morning in order to complete his commitment and hold down a job and maintain some family equilibrium.
Traf District News (TDN): “
When you think about what is in front of you each day Jason, how do you find the strength to go on?”
Jason:
“I never, ever look how far I”ve got to go. If anything enters my head that it’s going to be a long day or it’s going to get hard, I shut it out. I don’t entertain it. I don’t allow it in. I don’t let it because in the past, everything controlled me. If I had something coming in my head, I’d play it, play on it, ask questions of it, entertain it, and it’d take me down. Now, I literally get out here. If you just saw me get out of bed in the mornings. I get up and I am bent over. Then I walk stiff legged hops for a while because my achilles just don’t want to work. I get myself in the shower, and then I put all the heat packs on the achilles and I just come out here, I click the watch and away I go.
“I have a strong will to continue growing. I think life is about a journey of growth. I want to challenge myself and see how far I can go because in the past, change challenged me. I wouldn’t step into change. The only time I would change was when it hit me in the face. Change challenged me. Now I challenge myself to find change. I actually challenge myself to look for things because growth is in the pain.
“Finally, I have to say that if this 100 day, 3249 kilometre run was for me, or about me, I can tell you now, I wouldn’t have kept running. It’s so much bigger than me, and that’s why I’ve been able to keep at it.”
Footnote:
Jason decided to run 3,249 kilometres over 100 days to raise awareness for mental health, 3,249 being the number of people who took their own lives in 2022.
Jason wore out seven pairs of runners and ran 3,002.4 kilometres.
On the last 24 hour run, he ran 155.4 kilometres.
The community was invited to run with Jason and community members ran 9,422 K’s.
Jason’s effort raised $70,000 but more money is expected to flow in.
