![Masterton’s Chris van Gerven is on a running mission for Wellington Free Ambulance [WFA]. PHOTO/JULIA MAHONY.](https://dw35i5ezvh1dd.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/wta241123jmchrisvangerven-scaled.jpg "wta241123jmchrisvangerven.jpg")
Runner Chris van Gerven was pushing through wet weather when Midweek caught up with his training at the Colin Pugh Sports Bowl last week.
Van Gerven is training towards a challenge to run 85km daily for 25 days in a row, starting on March 25, to raise money for Wellington Free Ambulance’s [WFA] new Masterton station build.
He began training this month, with 12.5km daily for the first week, increasing each week.
Last Friday, van Gerven had made it up to 17.5km per day, despite inclement weather. By Christmas, he plans to be running 30km daily over about three hours and the equivalent of a marathon a day by the end of January, hitting 50km per day during February.
“I’ve been wearing this rain jacket for far too many days,” he said, as he circled the wet, blue surface of the sports bowl at a steady pace last Friday.
“Probably up to half of my runs, it has rained and a few of those days have been cold.”
At one point of heavy rain, van Gerven had to walk with an umbrella “as I was drenched”, he recorded on his Givealittle crowd funding page.
Van Gerven has invited members of the public and schools to join him training at the Masterton track from 9am Monday-Friday and complete a lap for the chance to win prizes from Shoe Clinic, Mitre 10 MEGA and Hansells.
“My progress has been good and it would be nice to have the odd person at the track,” he said.
The community can support van Gerven’s fundraising for WFA via his Givealittle page: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/running-2125-km-in-25-day/exercise
