JASON WILLIAMSON H
i Jason. Most people celebrate their 50th with cake, but you're running 4,000km across Australia. What inspired you to take on something so extraordinary to mark this milestone? Turning 50 felt like a call to do something bold. Not only to mark my age, but to celebrate growth - mentally, emotionally and physically. Running across Australia is the biggest challenge I’ve taken on, but it’s also a powerful way to spotlight mental fitness - a concept that’s changed my life. Last year I completed The Ireland Way, 1030km in 14 days, and set the Fastest Known Time (FKT). That experience showed me what I was capable of. This run across Australia is the evolution of that journey. Just seven years ago you hadn’t run more than 15km. Can you take us back to that turning point in your life, what led you to lace up your runners for the first time? Seven years ago, I was completely consumed by work. I wasn’t taking care of myself physically or mentally. I started by running 84 GREATER PORT MACQUARIE focus
Jason Williamson is running 4,000 km right across Australia, from Perth to his hometown in Port Macquarie, to raise awareness and funds for mental fitness charities Gotcha4Life and A Lust for Life. His journey is a test of endurance, resilience, and the power of connection, inspiring others to take their own first steps toward be er mental health. 3km around the block - not to become an ultra-runner, but just to feel better. It gave me space to think. That habit grew into a passion, then a lifestyle.
takes you through some of Australia’s most remote and challenging landscapes. What part of the journey are you most nervous or excited about?
Before long, I was taking on ultra-distances, pushing my limits, and to my surprise, winning major events.
I’m both nervous and excited about the Nullarbor. It’s incredibly remote, just you and the road, for hours and days. The Australian outback adds another layer with its heat, flies and vast emptiness. It’ll be tough, but those are usually the defining moments.
You’ve spoken about how running became a tool not just for physical fitness, but for mental clarity and wellbeing. What have you learned about your own mental fitness through running? Running taught me how to sit with discomfort, both physically and mentally. It’s become a moving meditation. I don’t run to escape, I run to be present. That was especially true during The Ireland Way FKT, where I faced extreme fatigue and stress but didn’t let it break me. Resilience, I’ve learned, isn’t about always feeling strong - it’s about staying in the fight, one step at a time, even when everything hurts. Mental fitness matters just as much as physical strength. Your route from Perth to Port Macquarie
You’ll be running the equivalent of two marathons a day for 50 days. How have you prepared your body and mind for this kind of endurance? It takes time! I’ve been training with an ultra-endurance coach, focusing on volume, recovery, nutrition and mental strategies. My experience running The Ireland Way taught me a lot about pacing, fuelling under stress, pushing through fatigue and more. That 14-day effort gave me the blueprint for how to prepare my body and mind for something even bigger. You’ve chosen to raise awareness and funds for Gotcha4Life. What does this charity mean to you, and how does it