Teams ready to run against violence

The Central Coast team is looking for keen runners and walkers to help raise money for awareness of family violence

Ettalong Beach resident Susan Blenman is calling on keen runners and walkers to participate in the fourth annual Run Against Violence Virtual Team Challenge which will start this month.

The nationwide movement aims to raise awareness of family violence by running 1300km and getting everyone to talk about family violence and what it means to have healthy relationships.

The challenge starts at anytime on Monday, August 30, and finishes midnight on Friday, September 17.

After raising $120,000 with 3000 participants last year, the goal has now been extended for this year to raise $180,000 with 5000 participants.

Susan Blenman from Central Coast Running Mums said the Coast would likely run a few teams.

“Last year we completed it really quickly, we have quite a lot of local girls who run a lot,” Blenman said.

“This year we are looking forward to wearing the new RAV shirts.

“What a wonderful cause it is.”

The local team captain said teams were set up and ready to go for Central Coast RMA.

During the challenge, teams of up to 20 people will walk or run in their local area.

Distances covered are uploaded daily onto an online tracker to keep them in the competition.

The tracker collects and collates each team member’s distances so the participants can watch their team track across the map from Broken Hill to Sydney.

To be successful, the team is required to cover 1300km in the 19 days of the challenge.

Established in 2015, Run Against Violence is a volunteer organisation whose purpose is to end the silence around family violence through starting constructive and comprehensive conversations about the issue.

The organisation said they invite and encourage everyone to participate – whether its 10 metres, or 10,000 metres in a day.

Teams or individuals can enter and individuals can be assisted in finding a team.

More information including registration details can be found on the Run Against Violence website.

Maisy Rae