What did you do to celebrate your 40th birthday? Maybe you had a party with friends… maybe you aren’t 40, yet.
But I bet nobody has ever attempted what Mikey Dubz has planned to celebrate his 40th bday.
The incredibly talented runner – who is a community leader in Lloydminster – is going to run for 40 consecutive hours to mark 40 years. The remarkable challenge begins May 8th at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to end on May 10th at 2 a.m.
Every hour he plans to run 6.67KMs through the streets and trails of the Saskatchewan/Alberta border city – which equates to 266.8KMs in 40 hours. Or the equivalent of running from Lloydminster to Saskatoon.
“This will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But, that’s kind of the point,” said Mikey. The idea to run 40 consecutive hours – backyard ultra style with his garage being home base each hour – came to him while running a quiet 15KM on a weekend morning about a month ago. I remember when Mikey called me after that run to tell me the news.
I must admit, if it had been anyone else, I would have scoffed a bit at the idea. But not Mikey – he has legs that can go forever – and a heart that is figuratively the size of the province.
That’s why he has turned the challenge into a fundraising project. “There’s something about pushing your body to its limit in the pursuit of bettering your community. If I’m going to ask people to support me through donations, I need to hold-up my end and go beyond what’s considered normal,” he stated.
Mikey is using the challenge to raise money for the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation in their pursuit of a new cancer ward. Since going public with the idea on Monday, he has already raised more than $12,000. You can donate to the cause by finding Mikey on Instagram (@Mikey_dubz_) and finding the link to donate in his profile.
With the backing of his wonderful family – wife Konita and daughter Charlie – and his close friends that will act as his pit crew during the 40-hour challenge, Mikey will try to take 10-to-15 minute naps on the floor of the garage – especially after he passes the 24-hour mark.
In true Mikey style, he plans to mark the 24th hour of his challenge, by joining the Synergy Credit Union Sunrise Run that will start at 10:30 a.m. on May 9th just blocks from his house.
Watch Mikey’s Insta feed for updates next weekend, along with a recap in the Brainsport Times the following week.
