Schoolteacher Harrison Sanders to run 100km on Piha Beach for charity to educate kids

A West Auckland schoolteacher is running 100 kilometres on Piha Beach this Saturday to raise money for kids in need, and is inviting members of the public to join him.

Harry Sanders will be running laps around Piha Beach from 8pm on Saturday evening to help the Back2School Project supply “basic stationery” and “more goodies” for underprivileged West Auckland children. By midday Sunday, he hopes to have completed his marathon effort.

Sanders ran seven marathons in seven days in 2021 for the same charity. Photo / Dean Purcell

“It’s a more accessible event, being a short loop, and people can come and join in if they’d like to support and help out with the charity,” said Sanders.

The Hobsonville School teacher said he hopes the 16-hour event will raise enough to support over 600 children. The Givealittle page has raised almost half of its $5000 goal so far.

“$80 helps with a backpack for these kids. So, the way I look at it, if I help one kid, it’s better than none... right?”

Back2School is a West Auckland-based charity that helps supply items like backpacks, clothes and stationery to schoolchildren in need, and an earlier 2021 fundraiser - in which Sanders ran seven marathons in seven days - raised over $19,000.

The charity helped 380 kids in 2022 and hopes to assist over 600 this year. Photo / Dean Purcell

Sanders said the Back2School Project helped 380 children last year and is trying to aid over 600 in 2023, and he hopes Saturday’s run can raise over $10,000 for children so they can “get a better education”.

“I hope it gets people talking about this issue and helps motivate people to get amongst it and get after it to go better themselves.”

The run is also being sponsored by ASICS New Zealand, who made Sanders a brand ambassador last year.

You can donate to the Givealittle page at: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/120km-muriwai-beach-run.