Running with purpose: Todd Andrews
Christchurch sports performance coach Todd Andrews has a crazy dream. Later this year, he aims to break the record for running the length of New Zealand and next year he plans to run from one side of Australia to the other – all to fundraise for Cholmondeley Children’s Centre. He sat down with Metropol deputy editor Tamara Pitelen to explain himself.
I ran the London Marathon once, many years ago. These days, I struggle running between lampposts. I remember the experience though, the many months of discipline and training leading up to the big day. It was tough. For me, the first three hours of the run were alright, even fun in places, but everything changed in that last hour. My consciousness seemed to detach. I was both in my body and out of it at the same time. I did the 42km distance in four hours and forty minutes and it took everything out of me. The next day, I literally couldn’t walk down a flight of stairs. I had to slide down on my bottom. I’m telling you this to try and hammer home the herculean nature of what Christchurch sports performance coach Todd Andrews is planning to do.
In October/November, the 43-year-old grandfather wants to break the record of running the 2100km from the top to the bottom of New Zealand, which currently stands at 18 days, eight hours, and 42 minutes. It’s equivalent to 50 marathons. And that’s just the start. Next year, Todd plans to run from one side of Australia to the other in a month, a total of about 3800km. Both ventures equate to running three marathons every day. Running a single marathon brought me to my knees. Todd plans to run 90 marathons in quick succession. The sheer physical endurance and mental resilience involved in this gruelling undertaking beggars belief.
While Todd is not the first to complete either challenge, they both sit squarely in the category of exceptionally uncommon, staggeringly arduous and a logistical nightmare. In particular, Australia’s scale, heat and remoteness make it one of the toughest endurance routes on earth. The obvious question then is, why? Let’s hear from the man himself.
“It’s a mammoth task,” he admits. “And ‘why’ is a very good question. Obviously, I’m doing it for Cholmondeley but the deeper ‘why’ behind the why is showing people that whatever they put their mind to, they can achieve,” Todd says.
“We live this life only once. The last thing I want is to be sitting there at age 53, 63 or 83 regretting opportunities or things that inspired me. If I can motivate other people to do something crazy, dream big, step outside their comfort zones, and pursue ambitions that might initially seem out of reach then I feel like I’ve achieved the outcome.”
A sports performance coach with a background in strength and conditioning, Todd’s day job is working with athletes who are pursuing their own ambitious goals, helping them perform at their best both physically and mentally. He understands better than most that extraordinary achievements don’t happen overnight. Preparing to run up and down countries and across an entire continent has required months of planning and preparation. Since July last year, he has logged more than 7200 kilometres in training – an average of 140 kilometres every week.
He has also completed increasingly difficult simulation runs, including a punishing 300-kilometre journey from Tekapo to Ōamaru over three days at the end of May.
Running boy
For more than 20 years, the father of four has called Christchurch home, but he grew up in a small country town in Victoria, Australia. His mum was a single parent, they lived week to week and life was tough. One thing he always had though was running. “From a young age, running was a big part of my life. My mum always said I ran before I walked.”
At 12 years old, while competing at the Victorian State Championships, Todd was spotted by legendary Australian running coach Neville Sillitoe and was offered a sporting scholarship. “It profoundly changed my future. That was effectively the fork in the road for me, the opportunity to go to private school in Melbourne. Because who knows where I would have ended up. I was a bit of a naughty boy, and my life could have gone in a very different direction. Running changed my life. That’s why I see running as a vehicle to inspire others, I want them to dream crazy dreams. Especially children. I want them to believe in themselves and what is possible, regardless of their circumstances.”
That purpose aligns closely with Cholmondeley Children’s Centre, the Canterbury charity he is supporting through The Dream Run. For more than a century, Cholmondeley has provided short-term emergency or planned respite care for whānau with children aged five to 12.
“These kids are often dealing with really difficult situations. They may struggle for hope. They may not know what their future looks like. I want this run to give young people hope.”
Todd was introduced to Cholmondeley while planning the project and quickly found himself inspired by both its mission and the people connected to it. Among them is 72-year-old
René Heyde. A former New Zealand track cyclist who won bronze in the 1974 Commonwealth Games, René rode across Australia at age 70 to raise funds for Cholmondeley and is now one of the five people who make up Todd’s support crew.
The fundraising goal is equally important. Cholmondeley is an independent charity and costs over $2,700,000 per year to run. Just 20% of this figure is met by Government funding, and the remaining 80% comes from the support of the Canterbury community. “Every dollar counts. If I can help create awareness and contribute in some way, that’s a win.”
Of course, the challenge extends beyond training schedules and fundraising targets. Todd is balancing preparation with work, co-parenting responsibilities, and family life. Some days that means fitting training runs around client appointments. Other days it means heading out to clock up the kilometres needed to meet his training goals long after most people have settled in for the evening. “If I run out of time during the day, I’ll have dinner and head out at eight o’clock at night if that’s what it takes.”
It’s a mindset that has carried him through countless kilometres already and will be tested again when he steps onto the start line in New Zealand and Australia. Yet Todd remains focused on proving that seemingly impossible goals are achievable when matched with commitment and purpose. He hopes others will be inspired to chase their own version of a crazy dream.
To make a donation to Todd’s Dream Run ambitions for Cholmondeley Children’s Centre, go to www.dreamrun26.com.
