Kiwi marathon runner Stefan Ozich breaks record, running twice the length of NZ for men’s mental health

Warning: This story references mental health issues and suicide. Please take care. A 29-year-old endurance runner from Auckland has become the first person to run and hike the length of New Zealand and back on the Te Araroa trail.

Stefan Ozich set out on October 1, 2024 to raise awareness and funds for men’s mental health through a Givealittle page for the charity The Last Chance Project . For Ozich, it’s personal — he lost his brother and a close friend to suicide in recent years. Speaking to the Herald , he said it felt “surreal” to have achieved his goal.



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