Recently I’ve been reflecting on something that feels more important than ever: The power of coming together. We’ve seen it through the #WorldWaterRelay , where thousands of you joined forces across time zones and continents. We saw it in Queensland, where neighbours braved floodwaters to help each other out. And we’re seeing it globally, in growing calls for businesses and governments to step up…
Here we are… late December. It’s that time of year when we stop moving (briefly), take a deep breath, and ask: Where did we start? What did we learn? For me, 2024 has been about rivers, people, and the small acts that ripple into something bigger. In July, I took on the Seine River Run — 800 kilometres from the river’s pristine source all the way to where it spills into the sea. It wasn’t…
Can you believe it’s been SIX years since the start of #RunningDry ? Six whole years since I set out to run 100 Marathons in 100 Days for water. As many of you know, I didn’t quite make it. I still remember breaking my leg on Marathon 62 and sitting in that hospital in Cape Town, thinking, “This is it. It’s over.” But it wasn’t. It was the beginning of something extraordinary. People from over 50…
Wow, what a month it’s been… After a whirlwind few weeks of running, travelling, and meeting amazing people, I finally made it back home to Oz! Looking back on the past month, I’m filled with gratitude for the incredible experiences I’ve had and the people who’ve shaped my journey. And I’m looking forward to what’s ahead – there’s so much more to do for our planet, and I can’t wait to embark on…
"The future belongs to those who believe in the power of collective action" – Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam This quote by the former President of India resonates deeply with what we witnessed during our 2022 visit to the Ganga River in Varanasi. Our team saw how factories and farms were polluting the river, undermining water quality for families and threatening the river’s health. It became clear that…
Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Mina Guli ran the entire length of the Seine River to explore one of the world’s most ambitious urban river restoration projects. Once considered too polluted for swimming, the Seine has become a powerful example of how rivers can recover through long-term investment, political commitment and collective action. About the seine river run We started the Seine River…
"Why?" “Why did you take on the monumental challenge of running 200 marathons in one year? Why run alongside seven rivers and through seven deserts? And why attempt to run a marathon a day for 100 days?” These are the questions I get asked most frequently during interviews. The answer is simple yet incredibly important: I run to raise awareness of the water crisis, and more importantly, to inspire…
I'm thrilled to share insights from SIWI World Water Week, a gathering of passionate minds at the forefront of the global water crisis. As someone who embarked on the incredible journey of running 200 marathons in a year, I've witnessed the magnitude of our water challenges - scarcity, floods, pollution. Water is life, intricately woven into every facet of our existence. My marathon journey…
The United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is the central United Nations platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level. It was an honour to MC the Special Event on SDG6 and the Water Action Agenda at July's UN HLPF. Here’s my speech. “Before we start, a big thank-you to the teams at UN…
Just a quick update from the #RunBlue road! Many of you have been asking how my physical and mental health is. I'm happy to report that I'm still going strong, even though my knees are bruised and swollen and I'm feeling a little tired. The reality is that, besides the marathon running, I'm meeting partners, listening to people's stories who are directly impacted by a lack of water infrastructure,…
Today is World Wetlands Day, and I want to take a moment to talk about why wetlands are so important—not just to our planet, but to each and every one of us. In fact, wetlands are often called the "kidneys of the planet" because they play such an important role in filtering water. They help remove sediments and other pollutants from the water, which keeps our rivers and streams clean. They also…
Join me for the #WorldWaterRun ! www.worldwaterrun.com We need to create a wave of sound around the world - millions of feet walking, running, moving for water. Of voices across the planet joining together to ask the world to step up and commit to action on water. This is our opportunity to be heard. To change the course of history. And to actually do something to solve our global water crisis.…
On the bank of the #OrangeRiver, in the middle of the Richtersveld Desert in South Africa, my life changed.
It’s no secret that I grew up through 10 years of drought here in Australia. Everywhere there were reminders of the scarcity of water. The hardship of both nature and those depending on it – farmers, communities, supply chains.
I’ve lost count of the number of times people have asked me if I’m on Strava. My answer has always been some variation of “no”.
Right now we’re washing our hands, our clothes and the surfaces around our home more than ever. For most of us, the process is relatively straightforward – we do it without a second thought: tap on, hands underneath, apply soap and sing happy birthday while we scrub.
Yesterday I was given the immense honor to represent civil society at the United Nations SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) 6 Global Acceleration Framework launch.
Today is World Water Day and it’s taking place against the backdrop of a global pandemic. Covid-19 has changed everything but it seems like the world is waking up to how vital this resource is. Water truly is life.
I am so honoured that the #RunningDry movement has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious UN SDG Action Awards.
I’m often asked why I run, and how running relates to water. For me, personally, it’s about doing the one thing I know I can do (over and over, every day) that will help to shine a spotlight on the global water crisis. But the #RunningDry community has shown me that there’s more to running than that… When people come together to run (or walk) for water, they talk about the issue. They connect and…