By Mitchell Clarke
A Pakenham man will run 160km around Pakenham’s Lakeside for over 24 hours in a bid to raise funds for cancer.
Michael Soutter will begin his quest from 10am on Saturday 14 December, running continuous laps of the lake until about 12pm the following day.
“I thought I wanted to do something that can make an impact to someone,” Mr Soutter said.
“I’ve had loved ones affected by cancer and I see so many people affected by the disease and watching what the disease does to them made me want to do something.”
Mr Soutter began running marathons in 2012 and has completed 38 in his life, including six ultramarathons and 100km around Lakeside earlier this year.
The upcoming 160km run will be his 12th for the year.
“To do something like this, you really just need to stay in the moment and focus on why you’re doing it,” he said.
“Rather than looking at is as running 160km, I try to take it kilometre by kilometre, focusing on one km at a time.
“Yeah, the second kilometre will be a lot easier than the 140th, but the support I have around me will keep me going.”
Mr Soutter, who started up the Pakenham Road Runners, is expected to be joined by a support team made up of a number of close friends and family for parts of the run.
“I’ve got a really good network of friends and people who support me and the cause immensely,” he said.
“For me, it’s all about knowing what I want to give and what I’m able to give.
“It’s about trying to give everything I’ve got and to try and make a little bit of a difference to someone’s life.”
Mr Soutter is encouraging the community to get behind him and support the cause by heading down to Lakeside on the day and getting involved in the fun.
All proceeds will go towards The Physicals and Cancer Council Victoria.
To donate to Mr Soutter, visit: https://bit.ly/38jnLvv.
