I'm Running the Great North Walk in the Fastest Known Time!

Benn Coubrough is an elite distance runner from Newcastle, NSW who will be running the 250km Great North Walk on Friday 6th November with the aim to beat the fastest known time, all in the name of medical research.

The Great North Walk is a 250km track from Queens Wharf, Newcastle, NSW to Macquarie Place, Sydney. The challenging but scenic track passes through forest, bush and urban areas. The current fastest known time for completing the track is 1 day, 15 hours and 50 minutes, set in May 2020. Benn aims to beat this.

With over 20 years experience in competitive football, coaching and personal training, Benn currently is a coach for RUNLAB, a Newcastle-based organisation that specialises in group running training.

Benn will be completing the run in support of Hunter Medical Research Institute's (HMRI) sports concussion clinic. The HMRI Sports Concussion Clinic aims to support local sportsmen and women by providing free access to evaluation and medical recommendations to players suffering concussive injury. Supported by the University of Newcastle's Priority Research Centre for Stroke and Brain Injury, the Sports Concussion Clinic also undertakes research activities which focus on supporting athletes with best evidence-based practice. As a nation that loves sport, concussion is becoming increasingly common in Australian sport and are the most common form of brain injury.