500km Run – From Sydney to Wirrinya

By Christian Thurston Join Me

I'm fundraising for...

In December 2024, I lost my mother, Elizabeth Thurston, to lung cancer. Her first symptoms and diagnosis came out of nowhere, and we were lucky to have another 18 months with her before she passed.

So this year, I decided to do a Misogi challenge. That's a big scary challenge that both excites and scares you. I figure why not use this as an opportunity to raise money for lung cancer and lung disease sufferers and research?

So I'm going to run from North Head in Manly to my sister's farm in Wirrinya in NSW Central West. According to google maps, it should be about 420km. But I suspect it'll be over 500km by the time I'm done.

Anyone can get lung disease. It affects 1 in 3 Australians and is the second leading cause of death. Lung Foundation Australia is the only charity in Australia providing support and a voice for people with lung disease, their families, carers, health professionals and the general community.

Please support me in raising funds to support patients and families impacted by lung diseases. 

Thank you. 

Christian Thurston

My Achievements

Signed up!

Received first donation

Received 10 donations

50% Goal Achieved

Reached Goal

Increased Target

My Updates

Day 4 – Lindley Point to Denistone

Friday 4th Sep

Day 3 – Neutral Bay to Lindley Point – 23.1km done. 477km to go

Thursday 3rd Sep

Day 2 – Balgowlah to Neutral Bay – 7.85km (483km to go)

Thursday 3rd Sep

Day 1 – The run begins!

Thursday 3rd Sep

Day 0 – The Challenge Explained

Tuesday 1st Sep
I will be running from Manly North Head in Sydney to my sister's farm in Wirrinya, in the Central West of NSW. I will be doing this over my weekends one day at a time. 

That means I won't be doing it back to back on consecutive days, but on a Saturday or Sunday I'll go to the place I finished the run last time, run a bit further, then go home. Then the next weekend, will pick up where I left off, and so on.

I started this challenge in January 2026, but spent the first month resting my foot because it had plantar fascia issues. So I was mainly buying the right indoor slippers so it could heal a bit.

I did not run a lot in 2025, and the furthest I've gone in a day is about 30kms with a mix of walking and running. Second furthest would be 16km in a day. So this is going to be quite the challenge!

Thank you to my Sponsors

$300

Christian Thurston

$106.75

Dee Hronopoulos

Great job Christian