The Long Night 2025
Welcome to the Long Night 2025
On the 26th February 2022, we lost a dear friend, Jimmy Petrie, to suicide.
Jimmy was a fun, caring, beautiful soul that would light up your day every times you were around him.
A year after him losing his battle with mental illness we decided to set up an event to raise funds and awareness to help prevent suicide in our community.
The Long Night was formed in 2023, Josh, Dean & Gus ran 118km from Fed Square in Melbourne to The Shed Gym in Ballarat.
Our mission is to continue to raise awareness in our community on suicide prevention and mental health awareness. We want to help others realise they always have someone to turn to, regardless of how alone they feel. We wish to do this by creating a safe environment for these people to speak in, as well as raising funds for the James Petrie Fund. The James Petrie fund has been created to support projects which respond to mental health issues in the Ballarat region and support youth engagement.
The Plan
This year, we are still look to raise as much awareness as possible in helping those that are suffering with mental health. We plan to do this by raising as much money as we can for the James Petrie Fund. This money will go towards much needed resources in the Ballarat Foundation, who’s work is a constant on the front line in our battle for mental health in the community.
Date
Saturday 23 August 2025
9am Saturday to 9am Sunday
Where
The Shed Gym, Ballarat
24 Butt Street, Canadian
How will the event run?
This event will be a 24 hour enduro-run performing as many 6km laps of the designated course as possible.
The 6km loop is on varying terrains.
The event starts at 9am on Saturday and ends 9am Sunday.
You will be running in the dark to symbolise the struggles of mental health and being alone in the dark with the sun rising in the morning.
The last lap cut off will be 8.30am.
Mandatory equipment:
Headlamp x 2 or battery pack back up
First aid kit (the event will supply one as well)
Hydration Pack
You will be allocated a fuel station area with in the gym where you can setup.
Support crews are welcome - in fact they are encouraged!
Please note there are no teams this year, this is a solo event.
Is this event for me?
We aim to make this event as accessible as possible, however we recommend that you have a base level of fitness.
There is no minimum requirement to how many laps you complete, however we recommend that you are aiming to challenge yourself.
The metaphor for the event is to symbolise struggling through the night like so many do with their mental health battles, but the sun rises in the morning and we are all together supporting each other. Therefore, we would like you to go through the night as far as possible.
We will be doing training sessions on Friday nights specific for this at the Shed Gym & we will also send out a recommended training plan.
Sign up here
$120
Until 1st May
Sign up here to claim early bird pricing!
Price goes up to $150 on 30th April, $180 on 30th June.
30th July is last day to register
Please note that all proceeds are going to the James Petrie Fund and therefore this is a non refundable event - if you do not compete your entry fee will still be used as a donation.
Make a donation
If you are unable to participate but still want to contribute you can make a donation here. Your donation will go to the James Petrie Fund and their work with mental health in the Ballarat community.
