Helping others achieve personal bests is so unique, especially their first marathon!
When people hear that I ran 50 marathons in 50 days as a 21-year-old, I regularly get asked, “How did it feel to finish on day 50?”
I answer, “Day 50 was special, but day 49 was the most fulfilling. On Day 49, 3 of my friends, Sarah, Dean, and Chris ran their first-ever marathon. To be by their side the whole way and give them a big hug at the end was a moment that I’ll never forget. It was fulfilling knowing that through what I was doing in running the 50 marathons in 50 days, I had helped them believe that they too could run further than they ever have before and ultimately achieve their first 42k!”
We want to promote running as a team sport, not an individual sport.
In my first marathon, the Melbourne Marathon, I experienced real generosity and the power of humanity when a man put his hand on my back and started pushing me up the hill at the 38km mark.
I had hit “the wall”.
My left quad was cramping and I didn’t know if I would be able to finish it… I was starting to fear that I wouldn’t.
The next minute the man gave me a “Zooper Dooper”, a popular iced lolly treat here in Australia, that he had picked up from an amazing mother and her children who were there on the sidelines handing out to competitors as they ran past them. I smashed it down, and I instantly felt a little better. She then so kindly gave me a second one, which helped me get to the finish line!
I never learned the names of the runner or the mother handing out the Zooper Doopers, nor did I get the opportunity to thank them, but they taught me that running is a team sport. Without them, who knows, would I have completed my first 42k?
So how did First42K actually start?
Long story short – Jase and DJ changed my life. They transformed me into an amazing runner and running made me healthier, happier, and more confident. Other people could also see this and wanted the same for their own lives, so it was only natural that one of the most common questions I would get asked is, “Who is your coach? And can they coach me as well because I’d love to run marathons like you do?” So I went to Jase and DJ with the idea of First42k®, and they loved it! The rest is history.
We have built First42k® to give you ALL the answers to everything you need to know about running. Whether your goal is to run your first 5k, 10k, 21k (half marathon), 42k (marathon), or even ultra-marathon (beyond a marathon), we are here to support you every step of the way!
Sean Bell
Co-Founder First42K®
