![Dean McCallum is running 50 half marathons in 50 days to raise money and awareness for Epilepsy Action Australia. Enduring the pain is also a show of solidarity with people afflicted with the condition. Picture by Ash Smith Dean McCallum is running 50 half marathons in 50 days to raise money and awareness for Epilepsy Action Australia. Enduring the pain is also a show of solidarity with people afflicted with the condition. Picture by Ash Smith](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/157659825/01af9de3-7d11-4fa6-90b9-7d1105e9a5bd.jpg/r0_119_6720_3912_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
While most of us are in bed, doonas tucked up to our chins, protected from the winter chill, Dean McCallum is pounding the pavement in the dark on his way to his daily 21kms.
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Mr McCallum is two weeks into a mammoth self-prescribed task of running 50 half marathons in 50 days.
The running obsessive has taken on the challenge in the hope that the scale of his endeavour will bring in much needed funds for his chosen charity, Epilepsy Action Australia.
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"I wanted to raise awareness and funds for a charity that was close to my heart. I thought the bigger the challenge, the more scope, and the more focus, it'll get," he said.
Mr McCallum's wife Tarran was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 19, something which rocked the young couple and still affects their lives today. It's estimated that 1 in 150 people in Australia are currently living with epilepsy.
Tarran's seizures are rare these days, but there's always a risk that one is around the corner.
"It's not a common occurrence. But when it happens, it's quite traumatic for her," he said.
And while the challenge is about raising money and awareness, it's also a show of solidarity with people who suffer through epilepsy.
"There's kids that have seizures constantly, daily. And, you know, if I can just put myself through a bit of pain for 50 days, that's nothing compared to what some of these people with epilepsy have to deal with," he said.
"Some people have uncontrolled epilepsy. We consider ourselves some of the lucky ones, we have a medication strategy that works. And we have a good support network, not everyone has that."
![Mr McCallum, 34, has already faced down a potentially run-ending injury. Mr McCallum, 34, has already faced down a potentially run-ending injury.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/157659825/1950a500-a004-4569-9c00-5dd7031c3524.jpg/r0_45_6720_4122_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mr McCallum, 34, sets off at 5am every day, head torch lighting his path on the freezing May mornings and only 13 days into his epic run and he's already faced down a potentially run-ending injury.
On day seven his "runner's knee" - which feels like "daggers stabbing you" every time your foot hits the floor - got so bad he walked the 21kms.
But some intense physio and kind words from a close friend got him back on track."It's just the love of seeing where you can go, how far you can push it." he said.
At the end of the 50 days he'll have run 1050 kms and will have hopefully raised at least $21,000 for Epilepsy. And he's already looking forward to the day he doesn't have to get up and run.
"There'll be a mixture of emotions, I'll be excited. I'll be ecstatic. I will also be sad that it comes to an end," he said.
"But I'm probably planning on not running for a bit afterwards. Because I probably had enough of that," he said.
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