Ultra-distance runner Aaron Young aims to run the Bibbulmun Track in fastest time and raise funds for TIACS

Ultra-runner Aaron Young is aiming to better the fastest known time for running the 1000km of the Bibbulmun Track while raising awareness and funds for a mental health charity. Starting on Wednesday, September 24, Young hopes to cover the challenging trail in about nine days, knocking more than 24 hours off the current record time of 10 days, 18 hours set by Erika Lori in 2021. That pace should enable him to arrive at the other end of the track, in Kalamunda, anytime from Thursday, October 2. He expects to run for 18-20 hours a day and grab three hours’ sleep a night. “It won’t be super-fast because as I get more tired, sleep deprivation plays a big role,” he said. “If all goes well, I might do it in nine days,but there’s a lot that could go wrong. “For example, there’s a stretch between Northcliffe and Walpole, maybe lasting around 100km, where I could be ankle to knee-deep in water.” However, more important than the record is his aim to raise the profile of This Is A Conversation Starter, a free phone and text counselling service aimed at Australia’s blue-collar community. Mr Young’s fundraising target is $15,000 and said he was drawn to TIACS because of the organisation’s approach to mental health. “I know from my own mental health challenges that there can be a real stigma,” he said. “What I like about TIACS is they have a light-hearted approach, and I think that it helps people reach out and take that first step.” Mr Young is no stranger to long-distance running having won the 2024 Delirious W.E.S.T. 200 Miler, the gruelling point-to-point race between Northcliffe and Albany. This year he travelled to America and completed the Arizona Monster 300 and the Cocodona 250, competing against some of the world’s best. He also finished the 110km Stirling Completion in under 24 hours, the fastest known time for a contest which includes all the climbable peaks in the Stirling Ranges. His conversion to ultra-distance running came in 2020 when he completed an ironman triathlon alongside a friend, who was later diagnosed with terminal cancer. A former schoolteacher who now works as a carpenter, Mr Young is passionate about helping other people through challenging situations.