What started as a night of banter became an attempt at a Guinness World Record to now reaching the halfway mark.
Local mega marathon man Henry Cock, who is currently on his mission to run 2 800km from Kosi Bay in South Africa to Vioolsdrift on the Namibian border, has reached just over halfway in achieving his goal.
Cock reached St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape on September 12, not only breaking the world record but continuing to raise funds for the South African Depression and Anxiety Group’s (Sadag) national suicide helpline.
The helpline plays a critical role, receiving between 600 and 1 800 calls daily.
According to the anxiety group’s founder Zane Wilson, Cock’s fearlessness to achieve the amazing halfway mark of 66 half-marathons to break the Guinness World Record of the most consecutive half-marathons is extremely commendable.
“His incredible initiative and raising money via Back-a-Buddy is helping Sadag to reach many more people on our helplines.”
Cock noted this was an important goal for him to accomplish because many people, including him, have been impacted by the pandemic. He too experienced immense mental stress and exhaustion caused by facing both personal and financial problems.
He said, “I’m a regular guy who knows how important your mental health is. I only began running in October last year. Crazy? Maybe. But my point is to show that it’s never too late to start. To set a goal. To focus on achieving something even if it seems unreachable.”
Sadag encouraged people to show their support as Cock continues on his journey to bring the title home.
Interested in making a donation? Head to www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/mentally-aweh
You can also follow Henry Cock’s journey on Instagram @cock.henry
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