Chad Needs Your Help !
ROAD RUNNING
Foundation tends to help boys who have a mentality that they will not be held down by their circumstances , and will instead use it as a form of motivation instead of an excuse . So , I see this upcoming 4000km journey not only as a chance to deliver a message of hope and inspiration to South Africa ’ s youth , but also as a way to give back to the school which has given so much to me .
MA : Is this also where the slogan for the challenge , ‘ Do what is hard ,’ comes from ?
CM : Absolutely . As head boy of my boarding house in my matric year , I was tasked with finding a quote for the year ahead , one which we as boys could turn to during times of need . Upon much thought , I landed on the phrase ‘ Do what is hard .’ During my first visit back to Jeppe as an old boy , I walked into the boarding house and saw that the quote had been put up in one of the prep rooms , with my name underneath , and I knew then that I had to live up to my own standard , by choosing to live a life filled with doing what is hard , and filled with purpose . I truly believe that in order to become our best-selves , and live a life of meaning , we need to always do the things that require more of us , the tasks that are hard , but ultimately the tasks that are filled with the most purpose .
MA : OK , so how can people get involved in this challenge ? Are you going to let people know where you ’ re running each day , and will you encourage people to join you for a trot ?
CM : 100 %. I ’ d love the company , and I feel like it ’ s this mutually beneficial thing , because people might be inspired by what I ’ m trying to do , so I would love to have meet-ups along the way , and for people to come run with us on the journey . South Africa is a beautiful country , filled with beautiful people , and I feel it ’ s meeting people on the way that ’ s going to play a crucial role in helping spread the message of positivity of this run .
In a world that normalises doing what is easy , I hope that this # RunSA2024 initiative will act as a beacon of hope to South Africa ’ s youth , encouraging them
Chad is now ready for his next running adventure to avoid falling victim to the traps of comfort and normality . I hope that this initiative will inspire South Africa ’ s youth to turn away from living easy lives , and rather towards lives filled with doing what is hard , towards lives filled with purpose and a brighter future for South Africa .
MA : Lastly , for those who want to follow Chad , you ’ ll find him on Instagram , Facebook and YouTube under the handle thefaithfulchad , and he recently started The Faithful Chad Podcast on his YouTube channel . What ’ s the story behind the name ?
CM : The reason why that is my handle , as opposed to Chad Markgraaf , is because I think it would be extremely arrogant of me to overlook the part that God has played in my life . And there was most certainly a part that God played in carrying me through 100 marathons , giving me the strength to overcome that .
Look out for updates on Chad ’ s # RUNSA2024 challenge , which we will be following on Modern Athlete ’ s platforms in coming months .
Chad Needs Your Help !
Running 100 marathon in 100 days when you can simply walk out your front door and start running is one thing . Travelling across the length and breadth of the country while running an ultra a day , with all the logistics of transport , accommodation , food , gear and the rest is a whole different story , and Chad says he is looking for support from sponsors and partners to make the challenge possible . “ These upcoming 4000-plus kilometres will undoubtedly be a lot different when compared to the 100 marathons I conquered last year ,” he says .
“ While 4,949,777 steps were taken in the process of running 100 marathons in 100 days , those steps were mostly taken with the support of a few very special people – our team was me , my mum and my girlfriend – and every day we sorted out the nutrition and gear . However , this run through South Africa is a far greater project , not only in magnitude of the message that I am trying to spread through South Africa , but also in the magnitude of costs that come with trying to fund such an audacious trip . As such , I am in desperate need of sponsors , and those willing to help cover the costs of the journey through SA with focus on a number of areas .”
1 Transport : The idea is to avoid the hefty costs of daily accommodation by renting a campervan or caravan , which will be able to both house and sleep myself and my team of three who will be helping me both during and after each day ’ s run .
2 Nutrition : During the 100 marathons , I was burning on average 5000kCal per day , and as such , I was constantly eating . Trying to run through South Africa in 60 days will mean burning even more calories per day compared to last year . This will mean that I will need a nutritional brand to help cover the daily intake required to efficiently fuel my running .
Sometimes the weather made the challenge even harder !
3 Running Gear : I ’ m going to need a need enough gear to get me through all those kays , including running shoes , clothes , socks , caps , etc .
4 Technical Gear : Running through the whole of South Africa is only reputable if you can prove that you actually did it . As such , I will need a watch sponsor to help me effectively record my journey .
5 Security : It goes without saying that a journey like this comes with certain risks , so having a security vehicle traveling along with us 24 / 7 on the journey will form an essential part of ensuring myself and my team ’ s safety as we travel through the country .
Coverage & Exposure : When looking back at last year ’ s 100 marathons , my only regret is that I was unable to document more of the journey . I feel that when undertaking a once in a lifetime journey like running through a country as diverse and beautiful as South Africa , you have a duty to document it , to show people the magnificence that is the Rainbow Nation . I feel that the # RunSA2024 initiative is going to represent something far greater than myself and running , and it is my responsibility to take other South Africans along with me on this journey . While my small team – basically , my mom , my girlfriend and myself – was able to document parts of the 100 marathons last year , this project is going to require far more help with regards to properly documenting this run through South Africa , and this will play a vital part in making this initiative a success by helping us reach a greater audience with the message we are hoping to spread through this journey .
Anybody who would like to get involved can contact Chad on 074 640 1156 or chad28markgraaf @ gmail . com .
43