Team Starship countdown to 2023 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon

Training and fundraising is well underway for the ‘Team Starship’ runners who are participating in this year’s Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon events on Sunday 29 October. 

More than 700 runners (or superheroes as we like to call them) have signed up to run the 5km, 11km Auckland Harbour Bridge Traverse, the half or full marathons in support of Starship Children’s Health and collectively, the team have already raised $62,201! That’s over halfway towards our $100,000 fundraising target and we’ve still got over a month to go. 

Many Team Starship runners have personal Starship connections, they know first-hand how brave and courageous children and families are everyday as they tackle health challenges and injuries.  

Take Lisa Mullin’s for instance. Lisa’s nickname is ‘Running Bug’ – she’s been running and raising funds for Starship for years now. In fact, she’s raised more than $10,000 for Starship in total! 
Lisa’s daughter Mikayla has neurofibromatosis – a condition causing tumours to grow on her nerves. She’s received treatment at Starship for most of her life, regularly travelling up from the Bay of Plenty.   
“I want to raise money to give back to Starship for all the support they’ve offered us as a family for the last 16 years,” says Lisa.  

Support Lisa and read more here Lisa Mullins in 2023 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon (grassrootz.com) 

Starship Dad and Team Starship runner Adam Ross says “for those who know my son Dane, you will know the challenges that he has faced over the last 4 years. Dane has had 3 open heart surgeries at Starship Hospital. The team at Starship have saved his life on more than one occasion. They are the best. While I cannot help fix Dane’s heart, I do have two legs and I can help raise some money for those who can.”  

Nine year old Harri Brown had open heart surgery at Starship at just one day old. Now he’s a keen runner and this year he’s joined Team Starship. He says “I’m running the Auckland Marathon 5km to help raise funds for Starship who help kids from all over Aotearoa New Zealand, like me from Christchurch, to have the best possible outcomes”. 

“Also I hope my running inspires Starship kids and their parents/whānau that anything can be possible and I hope to see them on the start line one day”. 
With a personal best of just over 20 minutes for a 5km run, we can’t wait to watch Harri fly by! 

The Starship Ward 24B Team are an amazing group of Starship kaimahi (staff) from one of Starship’s General Surgery wards. The team there look after tamariki and their whānau who present with varying conditions from appendicitis to complex bladder, bowel and airway conditions. 

Staff nurse (and the Ward 24B running team coordinator) Madison Park says “the team would like to shine a light on what we do on a day-to-day basis at Starship and fundraise to support the tamariki and whānau we work so closely alongside. Throughout our training for the event right up until race day we wish to promote Starship and we would love to be seen on the streets loudly and proudly in support of the Starship Foundation”. 

There’s still time to sign up to Team Starship and support our national children’s hospital. You'll be taking steps to improve your health and every dollar you raise will go towards improving the health and wellbeing of Kiwi kids now and in the future.  

Simply sign up to your preferred race here – 5km, 11km, half marathon or full marathon Entry Info - Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon 

Then join Team Starship 2023 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon (grassrootz.com) and start fundraising! 

Thanks so much for your support and we look forward to seeing you all on race day!