Hit the Road Robbie - 1000km Challenge for Movember

We caught up with Mo Bro, Robbie to learn more about his incredible challenge, what it involves and how he has prepared for what will be an extremely tough few weeks during November:

Hey Robbie, tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm 31, originally from England, who is now a proud resident of New Zealand. I moved here over 3 years ago with my soon to be wife Michelle and we have fallen in love with this beautiful country. We are getting married on Waiheke Island in January 2023 and both of our parents are coming over, which we are incredibly excited for. An added bonus of my Movember Challenge this year is that hopefully I will be in decent shape for the big day!

You absolutely smashed it last year! Can you tell us about that?

Last year I decided to run 100km per week for Movember, in the hope to raise some funds for an incredible cause. I didn’t expect to receive such tremendous support from my friends in New Zealand and friends and family back home in the UK. I managed to exceed my km goal and ran a total of 503kms over the month, ending with a marathon run on the final day. So many people got behind me and I managed to raise $3,265 which I was blown away by (my initial hope was to raise a few hundred dollars). Running has always played a pivotal role in my own mental health and wellbeing. Whenever I have felt stressed, overwhelmed or anxious I have laced up and gone out for a run. So being able to tie this with a means to fundraise for Movember is very meaningful for me.

How are you fundraising for Movember for the 2022 campaign?

After the success of my challenge last year I have decided to double up for 2022. I am aiming to run/walk (but mainly run) 1,000kms over the month in the hope of raising double the amount of last year; $6,530. I am committing to running a minimum of a half marathon every day, with additional runs with friends and supporters in the evenings. I have a series of ambitious weekend challenges that will also help towards the overall km goal. These include running a marathon, completing the David Goggins 4x4x48 challenge (4 miles, every 4 hours for 48 hours) and a 12 hour ultra-marathon on the final Sunday of the month. You can get more details on my challenge and keep up to date with my progress by following @hittheroadrobbie on Instagram.

That’s an epic challenge! Have you done much preparation for it and have you had any support there?

I have been getting in plenty of running over the last couple months, making sure I can comfortably cover 21.1kms and trying to prepare my body for the load that I will be putting it through during Movember. I am very lucky to have incredible people around me, Michelle is my biggest supporter and was amazing during my challenge last year. She will be my main source of encouragement/motivation; I am incredibly grateful to have her by my side. I have been joined on some training runs by a good friend Kevin, who also supported me during my challenge last year. I am hoping to have as many mo-panions as possible join me for some runs over Movember. All in all, I am just incredibly excited to get started.

What made you want to get involved with Movember?

I have always been an admirer of Movember’s cause. As a man I understand the difficulty/apprehension of seeking help when you feel at your most vulnerable. The fact that an organisation such as Movember is out there shining a light on the issues that are impacting young men is a great inspiration to me and makes me feel confident for the future of men’s health. I am extremely proud to be able to support the Movember mission and I hope my challenge can provide a worthwhile contribution to the incredible work that you guys do.

We’re so happy to have you on board for another hairy campaign, we cannot thank you enough for your mighty support. Is there anything else or a message that you would like to share with the Mo community?

Absolutely, I would just like to encourage as many people as possible to get involved with Movember. Whether that be reaching out to a bro for a catch up, checking in with a brother, father, uncle, going for a run/walk. Just make an effort to do something positive for yourself or someone else. A small gesture/contribution can have an enormous impact. And if you see me out running please feel free to give me a honk, wave or cheer as I will be soaking up all the support/encouragement I can get!

Follow Robbie's Instagram page and also check out his Mo Space to show your support!