Nick Runs America - Halfway There

Wellington ultra-marathon runner Nick Ashill is now halfway through the final leg of a 5400km run across the US that he started five years ago.

He has run 487km over the last 10 days and raised $5,673 of his $10,000 fundraising goal for the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ (ARFNZ).

Nick began his epic fundraising journey in 2017, running coast to coast across the US to raise money for the ARFNZ and the UK-based Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust. Nearly 4000km into his original journey, Nick’s run was cut short, after he was hit by a truck and left for dead. After 16 surgeries and a gruelling recovery, Nick returned to the site of accident in late May to finally complete the remainder of his run.

Over the last 10 days he has run over a marathon a day, battled heat, wet weather, long hill climbs, giant blisters and even the odd rattlesnake on his journey. "My run started on a high, being reunited with many of the doctors, nurses and other specialists that got me on my feet again five years ago," Nick explains. "But there have been some hard days since. After day four or five, it has become a real mental game. I am so lucky to be here though, finishing what I started and supported by some wonderful people."

Nick is raising money and awareness of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a serious condition that causes stiffening and scarring of lung tissue. Nick’s mother passed away from the disease in 2015. For information on IPF, ARFNZ has a dedicated section on their website that provides information as well as stories from those living with this disease.

ARFNZ Chief Executive Letitia Harding says Nick’s efforts on behalf of New Zealanders with respiratory conditions is inspirational. "Nick is someone who has battled major physical setbacks, but never lost his determination to help others. We are so thankful for his support."

Nick is looking forward to completing his run in just over a week’s time in New York. "It will be such a fantastic milestone to finish my journey which turned out to be much longer than expected," he says.

Follow Nick's journey on www.nickrunsamerica.co.nz

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