One great cause, twice the challenge

The first person ever to run New Zealand’s 7 Great Walks in 7 days, Mal Law, has announced 7in7 2010, another epic 7-day running adventure from 28 November to 4 December.

The challenge Mal has set is even tougher than the 2009 event. While the distance involved still totals to a gruelling 360kms, the terrain is notably more hard-hitting. To keep things interesting, the ultra run is 10,000 metres of vertical ascent during the week, or the equivalent of running almost 9 off-road marathons and climbing the Sky Tower 53 times!

“It took me a while to come up with something that could compare with the 7 Great Walks concept but there is no doubt that the 7in7 Challenge 2010 is a worthy successor. A week spent running in the Southern Lakes area, encompassing both Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks, is going to be one amazing experience,” says Mal.

In 2009 Mal and his support runners raised more than $85,000 for the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation (LBF) – a charity he chose to support in memory of his only brother who passed away from leukaemia in his youth.

This year, he aims to raise $150,000 for the LBF, but to do so he will need the help of people who are up for a challenge and willing to help the fundraising effort. The idea, Mal explains, is to “involve lots of people each of whom will run anything from 10kms to all 360kms.”

He says: “Sharing the experience with ordinary Kiwis who are all tackling a personal ‘Everest’ while raising funds for such a great cause is what motivates me to put myself through all that pain a second time.”

Full details of this year’s event, including how you can join Mal, are available on www.7in7.org.nz. Find out how you can help Mal and the 10,000 Kiwis living with leukaemia and other blood cancers.