THEY weren’t super athletes out to win a race. They were there to help raise money for a little girl. But at the end of this year’s Charlie’s Run 4 Kids, a 150-kilometre charity run from Seal Rocks to Burwood Bowling  Club, no one was in any doubt – they were  super  in every sense of the word.

CR4K is the brainchild of Dudley residents Cheyne and Kylie Waddingham.

Their good friends Brett and Mel Carr have a daughter, Charlie, who has been battling the unfortunately common childhood cancer    neuroblastoma  since she was eight months old.

She’s been in and out of remission three times.

Last year Cheyne and Kylie came up with the    concept of CR4K  to help raise funds for the John Hunter Oncology unit,  which has  been so good for the Carr family and others.

Six runners signed on and they raised $20,000.

This year, 14 guys and two girls completed the arduous challenge, run from November 5-9,  and to date they’ve collected $93,000 and counting.

This year’s staging    had added poignancy  as Charlie has again come out of remission and is undergoing treatment.

Doing the run was all about solidarity. As Cheyne  says, none of them were marathon runners, let alone ultra.

‘‘It was 150 kilometres over five days, averaging 30 kilometres a day from Seal Rocks to Burwood,’’ he said.

  ‘‘Most of us were pretty busted up by the end, to be honest.

‘‘We had torn muscles, blisters galore, but we kept each other going as a group.

 ‘‘Our pain   was nothing compared to what Charlie’s going through.’’

 Seal Rocks was selected as the starting point because it’s  where Charlie’s granddad used to love fishing.

Last year there was no one to see them off.

This year locals Nadine and Chris Wilson     organised a barbecue attended by 50-60  people  to raise money.  

The runners took the old rutile road through the Myall Lakes national park to Mungo Brush.

Day 1 was a gruelling 37kilometres.

‘‘That was the hardest day,’’   said Brett, who did the run with his son Tom.

‘‘They didn’t tell me until a week out. The last 15kilometres  I was really doing the Cliff Young shuffle.  ‘‘I’ve never trained for anything over 20kilometres.

‘‘I knew I could push to 30kilometres, but I didn’t think I could back it up day after day.

‘‘Cheyne [who ran with his three brothers Michael, Mark and Peter]   just said, ‘you’ll be surprised what your body can do when your mind is focused’.

‘‘I thought about Charlie and what she’s going through – 30kilometres a day is nothing.’’

 Day 2 saw the group run into    the Great Aussie Bush Camp just outside Karuah, where they were greeted by staff wearing pink,  and schoolkids cheering them on.   

It was a good boost for morale and a distraction from the pain, both physical and emotional, as all 16 runners were in various worlds of hurt.   

‘‘Guys were doing it for  personal issues I guess, as well as Charlie,’’ Brett said. ‘‘So   it was pretty emotional at the end of each day. You’d  wake up each morning, and plead for   more time to get ready.

‘‘Guys  were losing toenails after day two, getting up wrapping every toe individually. They were bleeding. Bandages on calves, hamstrings  – but everyone just pushed. No one would get in the support car.’’

There were moments of humour along the journey.

‘‘Guy Clegg, who was just about out on his feet on Day 3, as was everyone, got his feet snared in a car ring,’’ Brett said.

  ‘‘It was like a snare trap, both feet inside it.

‘‘He just got his hands down in time before a face plant.

‘‘We all thought it was hilarious, and so did his wife when he rang her.’’

From Karuah the runners plied their way through Heatherbrae and Hexham into Warabrook, Mayfield,  Adamstown, before hooking up with the Fernleigh Track on Day 5 for a  cathartic finish at Burwood, where they were greeted by over 2000 people.

 Four bands played, headlined  by iconic Newcastle rock outfit DV8. 

Various fund-raising activities were conducted, including an auction of a specially made replica of the Mark Richards twin fin   he won the 1980 world title with. It went for $8500.

‘‘There was not a dry eye on that green that day as Brett and Tom crossed the finish line together,’’ Kylie said.  

‘‘Lots of clapping, yahooing, whistling and just a positiveness that can only be best described as a natural high for everyone.’’

The amount of money raised highlights the generosity of the 26 sponsors who came on board and the local community who were galvanised to give.

Kylie, Cheyne and Brett gave  particular praise to Dudley Boardriders Club and Burwood bowlo.

They’re looking to run again next year.

 ‘‘As Brett said, ‘There will be someone that needs it,’ and he’s right, and we will all be there,’’ Kylie said.

  ‘‘Charlie’s Run 4 Kids is not a foundation or organisation although we may look at starting one in future.  It’s just people wanting to help out.’’