Johannesburg businessman, Henry Cock has smashed a Guinness World Record by running 16 half marathons in 76 days in an epic attempt to raise R4m for the SA Depression and Anxiety Group’s (Sadag) suicide helpline.
Cock, who has raised over R700 000, broke the record in Sedgefield in the Western Cape on Tuesday.
On 8 July, amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the looting chaos, Henry Cock set off from Kosi Bay in KwaZulu-Natal in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive half marathons completed in a row, while also trying to raise funds for Sadag.
Cock had trained for months for the challenge with his ultimate goal being 133 consecutive half marathons over 133 days and covering a distance of 2 800km. His epic attempt will end in Vioolsdrift in Namibia.
Cock, who is not a professional athlete by his own admittance, has taken on this feat in an attempt to stop the stigma surrounding mental health and becoming a beacon of hope for those who suffer in silence. Cock has himself struggled with depression and anxiety in recent years after a break-up and with the strain of the pandemic on his company.
He has been documenting his experience using social media platforms and said in a Facebook post: “So just a little less than a year ago I set out to reach this target. It seemed like a mad crazy target to reach. I’m only a small way to my goal, but this was the first big hurdle to overcome.”
He stated that while he has beaten the official record, “It’s not the big goal for me. The goal is to raise money for Sadag and raise the profile of mental health in SA. Each day I run, every radio interview I do or person I speak to, that is a bigger step towards the goal than anything else.”
Sadag founder, Zane Wilson has praised Cock for his achievement and for his “commitment to raising awareness about mental health” and raising funds for the organisation. We encourage everyone to send congratulatory messages on his Instagram, keep a lookout for Henry while he runs through your city, join Henry on his daily runs and keep donating to help him reach thousands of people in need through his Back-a-Buddy page,” said Wilson.
Sources: Times Live, MSN
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