Pair of mates want to share the load for 100km relay

The pair will be taking on a challenge of their own making, Relay for Lifeline, where they will spend 10 hours running 100 km, pushing a hand trolley loaded up with 100 bags - each weighing one kilogram.

Each kilometre The 34-year-olds run, they will "lighten the load" and take a bag off the trolley, also sharing the work by swapping roles periodically.

Tojic and Wood will be completing the symbolic challenge at the Del Rio Riverside Resort at Wisemans Ferry on Saturday, January 21.

A Glenbrook resident, Tojic has frequented the resort over the past 20 years and thought it would be the best location for what they plan to do.

The idea for the challenge came after Tojic learned through his work's charity about the dramatic increase in calls to Lifeline Australia in recent years, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He thought of his own experiences and spoke with his friends, and understanding that many people, particularly men, are frightened to share their feelings with others.

Recruiting the help of Wood, his gym partner, Tojic wanted to do something challenging and meaningful, eventually settling on the 100km relay, which he had heard a version of spoken about on a podcast.

Tojic said the distance of 100km is something that's achievable for some, but difficult for others.

"It gets people going, 'Wow, that's a long way'," he said. "The 100 kilos was just a round number I thought I'd throw in there and it also sounds very difficult.

"[The trolley] makes it very awkward, I think it's unique."

Tojic said the significance of the weight came through during the same thought process.

"'How can we signify about sharing and opening up', and that's why we did each kilometre or lap that we do, we take one kilo off the weight of the trolley," he said.

"Signifying sharing openly with your friends or talking with Lifeline or whoever it might be. Make that load a little bit lighter."

The trolley will be provided by Tojic's father's company, Toj Trollies.

The duo haven't done much in competitive running, only competing once before in a Spartan Race in Queensland, which saw them run three races a 121km, 10km and 5km.

"Definitely, I should have trained for it because I ended up straining my knee, my meniscus, and it was a very difficult run for me," said Tojic.

"So we are going to do a bit of training, but in no way are we marathon runners or long distance runners, we're just moderately fit."

The more Tojic thought about the challenge, the more he realised how difficult it would be.

"I think at the start it was like, 'Okay, this achievable'," he said. "But if you're carrying a trolley, especially at 100 kilos, you're going to need two hands to push the trolley.

"You can't use your arms when you're running, which would make the running style very difficult, very awkward, and we would have to run because I want to try to do it in 10 hours.

"So to do it in 10 hours is six minutes per kilometre, which is a joke without carrying any weight. We probably won't do six at the start, but hopefully we can get down to that as an average."

The boys have set a fundraising goal of $5,000 and are already over halfway there, having reached $2,635 - receiving $1000 in the first day.

Tojic said that he is hopeful for people to attend the challenge and the event that will be happening after.

"There's going to be people there anyway, because it's a school holiday period, but my goal is to get people to come down and support us.

"Then that way, it makes them aware of the cause while we're running and potentially get some more donations on the day.

"I don't expect people to stay there for 10 hours and watch us, but at least if we have a finishing time roughly, people can sort of come around and watch us finish."

Also sponsoring the event is fish fertilising company Charlie Carp, who will be supplying the 100 one kilogram bags of fertiliser, that will also be used to fertilise the golf course at Del Rio Riverside Resort.

To donate to Tojic and Wood's Relay for Lifeline visit mtojic.wixsite.com/relayforlifeline.