Ten pubs, 10 conversations and 21.1 kilometres – one Hobart man is putting a different spin on the traditional half marathon to get people talking about mental health.
Jayden Coleman plans to run 21km from Bridgewater to Salamanca later this month to raise money for men’s mental health.
He will start at the Derwent Tavern in Bridgewater on Saturday, November 28 and finish at Irish Murphy’s in Salamanca. He has named the fundraiser 10 Pubs, 10 Conversations.
Money raised will go to Movember, which supports men’s health, including mental health and suicide prevention.
Coleman grew up on the north-west coast and has lived in Hobart for five years. He said the idea came from an old video of a pub run held in the 1970s.
He had planned to do it “just for the fun of it”, but said it had been “a pretty difficult year” for him and many men he knew, with relationship and financial stress.
“All of us … have had to lean on resources or lean on each other in one way or in another and I’m really thankful for having that circle of people,” he said.
“I figured why not tie this sort of fun event to something a bit more impactful?”
Coleman said he had used mental health services himself and was “grateful those services were there”.
“Not everyone finds it easy to ask for help and not everyone has access to the support they need,” he said.
He plans to leave conversation cards on tables at each pub to encourage people to genuinely listen to their mates.
Coleman said he was considering light beers towards the end of the day because the run was “more of an experiment to see if it’s possible”. He said that “even then I reckon I’m still gonna be struggling”.
After having a drink at the Derwent Hotel, he will start running and stop at The York Hotel, Claremont Hotel, Grandada Tavern, Paddy Wagon, Cooleys Hotel, Maypole Hotel, The Winston, The New Sydney Hotel and Irish Murphy’s.
Coleman will run alone at this stage, although he said a few people had offered to join him.
“If anyone wants to come join me on the day, they’re more than welcome,” he said.
Donations can be made through Coleman’s Movember page.
