Arabic version: مراهق يُكمل جرياً خيرياً لمسافة 660 كيلومتراً على طريق غيب ريفر

According to ABC News, 16-year-old Lochlan Gilbert has completed a 660-kilometre run along Western Australia’s Gibb River Road in 14 days, raising more than $23,000 to support people experiencing homelessness.

Gilbert, who lives in Capel in WA’s South West, travelled more than 2,000 kilometres to the state’s north for the school-holiday challenge. He ran about 50km a day in 6km bursts, beginning at 4am, resting during the heat and walking when fatigue set in. The Gibb River Road is a far-north route many people travel only by four-wheel drive.

After two months of after-school training, Gilbert said more preparation would have been ideal. His feet swelled early in the challenge with suspected stress fractures, while temperatures neared 40 degrees Celsius. He said he suffered heat stroke on his first day out of Kununurra and crossed rivers on foot during the run.

Gilbert said the fundraising purpose helped him continue through the difficult stages. He had previously completed a 2025 fundraising challenge for We Are Mobilise and received a message during this run saying that, when he reached $15,000, he had helped five families. Drivers also stopped to encourage him, donate or ask about the cause, while his family supported him on the road.

He said running through the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges, 160km east of Derby, was a highlight despite the climbs. Gilbert encountered cattle, wallabies and cane toads, and said he was initially frightened by circling hawks. At the finish, where the Gibb River Road meets the Derby Highway, he stopped about 2km beforehand to see his parents before completing the final stretch.

Now recovering and returning to high school, Gilbert said he planned to take on another challenge next year while continuing to raise money for homelessness. His fundraising campaign remains open for another month.