Over 8,500 people across 53 countries have registered for the cause, which the athlete and entrepreneur said she created after feeling helpless watching the bushfire tragedy play out.
"I came to this 'ah ha moment', where I realised there must be something I could do to mobilise the running community I am a part of to make a positive impact in the face of such a crises,” Samantha said in a statement.
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And you don't need to be a running pro to make a difference.
"The Relief Run is an inclusive, positive movement anyone can take part in," Samantha told Women's Health. "You can walk it, run it, do it on the elliptical or even on a treadmill. It all counts! There are 21.1km options (which you can split with a friend) or 5km options. So it really is choose your own adventure! Our only objective is to get people moving and raise as much money as we possibly can for the Red Cross, to help those affected by Australia’s devastating bushfires."
Sam has a lengthy track record of social advocacy, raising over $500,000 for charity through epic feats across the Himalayas, in South Africa and through the Simpson Desert, but the support she's received for this project has blown her away.
“We’ve been so focused on offering this service and opportunity, we haven’t really had time to take stock yet," she said. "But we’ve been blown away by the support, and couldn’t be more grateful. We’re hugely appreciative the global running community has come together to support this idea so strongly. And it’s not just us who’ve created this. The Relief Run has gone as far as it has because of all the people right around the world sharing it, talking about it, and getting behind it in their local communities. We simply created a platform for others to step up and help make a difference.”
Want to join Relief Run? Head here for more information.
