Wild Causes

Running Wild is committed to the idea of Challenge. Central to our philosophy is the idea that by pushing our own limits, and encouraging others to push theirs, we can do a lot of good in the world. This good comes in part from encouraging healthy lifestyles but also through the idea of taking on challenges that are so inspiring they lend themselves to being fundraisers for the Causes that we support.

Mal Law, founder of Running Wild lost his only brother to leukaemia when he was just 9 years old.

As a consequence he organised the 7in7 Challenge which in two years (2009 & 2010) raised more than $260,000 for the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation. Read more about this by clicking here

There is undeniable evidence that regular exercise, such as running, can play a key role in maintaining good mental health.  Ask any runner who has been laid off for a few weeks with an injury and they’ll tell you just how much of a negative affect it can have on their mood. So it seems like a no-brainer that we use our passion for running trails to help charities who work in the area of Mental Health.

In June 2012, Mal will team up with English trail runner Tom Bland in a bid to become the first runners to complete the UK’s South West Coast Path in one go – more than 1,000 kms of running in just 2 weeks! The mission is to raise awareness of, and funds for, mental health issues. Read all about it here and check out their Facebook Page.

Our Heroes Fund

A good proportion of the proceeds from our commercial activities ends up in our Heroes Fund. This is money that we set aside specifically to support the causes that people are helping through their passion for big trail running challenges.

To date we have contributed to the following:

Tom Frentz who ran the 2012 Vibram Tarawera UltraMarathon to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of NZ

Jane Trumper who is running 650 kms across the Simpson Desert to help Bear Cottage –  the only children’s hospice in NSW providing support, respite and end of life care for terminally ill children and their families.

Margo Southgate who ran her first 100 km race at the 2012 Vibram Tarawera UltraMarathon just after learning that her friends’ baby son had terminal cancer. She dedicated the run to Sam and used it to raise money for the Starship Foundation.

These are just some of the heroes out there putting their passion for trail running to good effect. Sadly we can’t contribute to them all but we will continue to do our best to help those we can.

We hope this is just the tip of the iceberg and that over the coming years the Running Wild community can play a major role in helping people who, unlike us, can’t revel in the freedom and joy that is trail running.

If you are using your passion for single-track to raise funds for a good cause we’d love to hear from you. We can share your story and help raise awareness for your chosen cause. Just drop us an email.