Imagine climbing 5,000 metres of vertical in just five days. Not covering 100km. Not chasing a PB.
Just climbing.
Again.
And again.
And again.
That’s the challenge behind Bloody Mission’s Find Your Mountain Vertical 5K, returning this October to raise vital funds for the Leukaemia Foundation. It’s an awesome challenge built on one simple idea: the hardest part isn’t how far you travel, it’s how much you’re willing to climb.
Whether your mountain is a local trail, a fire road, the office stairwell or beating the vert on a treadmill, every uphill metre contributes to something far bigger than your own finish line.
What is Bloody Mission?
Born from the belief that adventure can be a force for good, Bloody Mission creates endurance challenges that bring people together to raise awareness and funds for Australians living with blood cancer. Trail runners, hikers and outdoor adventurers know what it means to embrace discomfort, push through tough moments and keep moving when the legs want to stop. Bloody Mission simply gives those efforts a greater purpose.
The Find Your Mountain Vertical 5K is Bloody Mission’s nationwide challenge in partnership with the Leukaemia Foundation. Rather than measuring kilometres, this event is all about elevation. It doesn’t matter where or what you climb—only that you keep heading upwards.
The challenge
The concept is brilliantly simple.
Choose any week in October and spend five consecutive days climbing a combined 5,000 vertical metres.
How you achieve it is entirely up to you.
Your mountain might be a steep local trail. It could be endless repeats on your favourite hill, laps of a stadium staircase, or hours on an inclined treadmill before work. Go solo and conquer all 5,000 metres yourself or grab some mates and split the climbing as a team.
How it works
To take part, simply:
- Register online by clicking here.
- Create your fundraising page.
- Commit to raising at least $500 for the Leukaemia Foundation.
- Then start climbing.
There are no finish line banners, no timing mats and no prescribed course. Just five days, one ambitious vertical goal and a community of people proving that every metre climbed can make a difference.
Climbing with purpose
Trail runners willingly seek out climbs that most other people would avoid. We know the burn in the calves, the heavy breathing and the incredible satisfaction that comes from reaching the top.
But for Australians diagnosed with blood cancer, there is no choosing the climb.
Every day, around 55 Australians are diagnosed with blood cancer. There is no screening test and often no warning. One day life is normal; the next begins a journey of treatment, uncertainty and recovery.
That’s the thinking behind Find Your Mountain.
Every uphill step becomes a show of solidarity with people facing a far steeper climb than any mountain can offer. The challenge asks participants to embrace temporary discomfort to help support people living through something far more difficult.
Where your fundraising goes
The goal isn’t simply to climb 5,000 vertical metres. It’s to turn those metres into meaningful support.
Every dollar raised through the challenge goes to the Leukaemia Foundation, helping provide accommodation for families who need to relocate for treatment, transport assistance to life-saving appointments, emotional and practical support services, financial assistance, and vital research into better treatments and blood cancer cures.
Collectively, Bloody Mission hopes participants will raise $250,000 through this year’s challenge, helping ensure more Australians receive the support they need when they need it most. Join the fundraising today. Register now.
Ready to climb?
If you’re looking for a challenge that goes beyond chasing a finish time or collecting another finisher’s medal, Find Your Mountain is worth putting on the calendar.
Choose your week in October. Find your mountain. Rally your mates if you want to share the load. Raise at least $500. Then start climbing.
Because this October, the challenge isn’t how far you run.
It’s how high you’re willing to climb.
Register: bloodymission.leukaemia.org.au
Can’t take part?
You can still support the challenge by donating directly to the Leukaemia Foundation through the Bloody Mission website.
