Birmingham
Meet ‘Rauul The Owl’: The GoodGymer Who Ran 2024 Miles in 2024
Inspired by Mum's Recovery, Rahul Ran 2024 Miles for Breast Cancer Now
January 31, 2025
Featuring
Birmingham GoodGymer Rahul Vashisht, better known as ‘Rauul The Owl’ completed an incredible challenge of 2024 miles in 2024, averaging 10km a day and raising £2,456 for Breast Cancer Now. It was some year, with Rahul ticking off:
2030 miles
24 marathons
24 half marathons
24 10KM events
24 parkruns in new locations
366 day streak of running/jogging/walking
So, we wanted to hear more from Rahul about his challenge, and the motivations behind it.
Where did you first hear about GoodGym and why did you decide to join GoodGym?
I joined GoodGym in 2019.
I repeatedly saw GoodGym t-shirts at events in Birmingham and London so asked what it was and got involved. I decided to join because I am a big fan of the combination of volunteering to support the community and keeping fit. I already did loads of community work, so joining GoodGym was like winning a lottery!
What was your ‘why’ for running 2024 miles in 2024?
In 2023 my mum recovered from breast cancer so I was driven to give something back and doing these challenges was the best way to do it.
In 2021 I’d completed 10 half marathons in 10 days and 52 halfs in 52 weeks, with 49 of those to raise awareness about GoodGym. In 2023 I then did 12 marathons (including Berlin, New York and Chicago) and 11 half marathons.
In 2024 I wanted to do something even bigger.
My initial challenge was to do 5km a day but I got to the end of January and wanted to make it more difficult to get more people engaged and interested so I decided on attempting 2024 miles in 2024.
Did entering races help you to stay motivated?
Yes - races really kept me going. It is really hard to do long miles whilst doing full time night shifts.
I was aiming to do 50 miles a week so every weekend I was trying to do a half or full marathon to get the distance - doing races and being surrounded by people really helped keep me motivated.
Was there any particular race or moment that stands out in your memory and why?
The Yorkshire marathon - everything was matching pink! The support was amazing.
How did you manage to avoid injury?
I didn’t push too much and decided to do races slowly and steadily. I also had a drive to keep going so I could continue supporting Breast Cancer Now and keep progressing towards my distance target.
What tips can you share on recovery?
My best piece of advice is to rest after big challenges!
In 2023 and 2024 I’ve been running long distances pretty much every weekend, so I’d use days during the week to try and recover as much as possible.
How did you stay mentally strong throughout the challenge?
Seeing how much pain my mum was going through I thought my challenge is nothing in comparison and it motivated me to keep going.
I saw women doing marathons who were receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer so I thought I could always do more.
The second half of the year was tough as I’d taken it easier in the first half of the year. In the last 8 days of 2024 I did over 130 miles and on New Year’s Eve I ran 21 miles.
How did the GoodGym community support you throughout your challenges?
Everyone has been really supportive throughout my challenges.
Area Activators such as Jonny Carter (Birmingham) and Rob Tonks (Solihull) have given great advice over the years and really helped improve my fitness and strength. Making me capable to run long distances and to take on challenges more frequently. Such helpful run leaders are very hard to find! Before joining GoodGym I’d ran 6 marathons but now I am up to 55 marathons and 165 half marathons.
Coming to the GoodGym shindig this year helped a lot too. I met so many positive and encouraging people from different areas, as well as a GoodGymer from Ealing who was doing a similar distance challenge - it was great to connect and share our experiences.
What do you like about doing races with other GoodGymers?
It is a great way to meet new people and make new friends - I’ve done a number of races with GoodGymers such as the Birmingham, Warwick and Leicestershire half marathons as well as parkruns.
At races I always see people in GoodGym t-shirts and give them a cheer!
One standout memory was meeting Bristol GoodGymer Paul Becker at a Christmas event organised by Saturn running near Staines in London. I’d never met Paul before but he’d seen my challenge online and completed the last lap with me!
It was an 8 lap course and I was struggling with a rib injury, but being with Paul it diverted my mind from the pain and helped me finish - GoodGym is such a supportive community.
Why should people get involved in races?
Because you’ll get addicted to it! Once you join GoodGym you’ll want to do more events.
Running keeps you fit physically and mentally and you get to experience fresh air, Vitamin D and amazing scenery. While running you also get the chance to chat to loads of lovely runners and learn about their mind blowing journeys and physical challenges.
What have you got planned for 2025?
Every year I give myself a challenge to keep me moving forward.
I am chasing the 100 marathon club and I have challenged myself to complete 50 marathons in 2025 to further fundraise and raise awareness for Breast Cancer, it will also include sub challenges:
- 5 marathons in 5 days
- Tokyo Marathon (International marathon to get my 5th star)
Doing less distance this year will give me the chance to go to more GoodGym sessions on the weekend - in 2025 I am also chasing 100 good deeds - I have 7 left to go!
What impact has GoodGym had on you?
Being a part of GoodGym has improved me a lot as a person - helping others always makes me feel happy!
Lastly - why should people come along to GoodGym?
This is the best way to support the community.
If you like doing impactful community work and staying fit then you should join GoodGym. The community will look after you and you don’t have to be fit - beginners can join and are very welcome.
Some of my favourite tasks are litter picking to ensure our environment is clean, gardening, painting, supporting charity shops and food banks. There are just so many great things you can get involved in.
You can find out more information about Rahul’s challenge and donate here. The GoodGym community will be supporting you every step of the way - good luck!