At 140 kilos and deep in the grip of addiction, Will Pattinson wasn’t planning marathons, let alone running and riding a 365km in one day. He was planning where his next drink was coming from. But on 15 August 2025, the 30-year-old aspiring mindset coach will attempt what most athletes would consider impossible: running and cycling 365 kilometres in 24 hours to celebrate 365 days of sobriety.
It’s called the 365K Challenge, and it’s not about headlines or medals. It’s about clawing your way back from the brink. It’s about showing up when everything inside you screams to give in. And most of all, it’s about proving that transformation is possible, no matter how far gone you think you are.
“If you’d told me a year ago I’d be doing this, I’d have laughed and cracked another beer,” says Will, now based in London but raised in rural NSW. “But today, I’m fighting for every kilometre—for myself and for every bloke who thinks he’s too far gone.”
That fight started after a drug-and-booze-fuelled Euro bender that left him with gout, early-stage diabetes, and the brutal realisation that he might not see 35. Doctors gave it to him straight: change or die. So he changed.
He didn’t do it by buying a new gym outfit or posting motivational quotes on Instagram. He did it the hard way—through sweat, structure, and savage honesty. He dropped over 50 kilograms. He trained through sleepless nights. He faced every demon he’d tried to drown in drink. He signed up for the Paris Marathon before he could run 5K. “No more half-measures,” he told himself. “It’s all in or nothing.”
On 15 August 2025, Pattinson will do the 365K Challenge, and run and cycle one kilometre for every day he has remained sober a symbolic journey of pain, grit, and resilience that honours the year he chose change over destruction.
“This isn’t about being a fitness poster boy,” Will says. “I’ve failed. I’ve relapsed. I’ve been ashamed. But I’ve had people believe in me when I didn’t believe in myself. That’s what kept me going—and that’s what I want to give back.”
After the challenge, Will’s not slowing down. He’s eyeing a sub-3-hour finish at the New York Marathon and launching a platform to support others battling addiction and self-sabotage.
His message? Simple, powerful, and needed now more than ever: “Your Day One doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to begin.”
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Want to follow Will’s journey or chip in?
▶ Donate or track the challenge: teamblackdog.org.au fundraiser page
▶ TikTok: @willingmotivation95
