Lleyton Edwards is a young man on a mission. 

After losing his best mate to leukaemia last year, the Newcastle landscaper is determined to raise awareness about the disease, as well as some much-needed funds, for support and research into a cure. 

On Saturday 3 August, the 21-year-old will set off on a self-appointed quest to run 1,000km over 20 days and amass $50,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation and Australians living with blood cancer. 

Determined to run 50km per day from Nobbys Beach to Carrington and back, he’s inviting anyone who’s keen to join him on the journey. 

“Every day I’ll start at Nobbys Beach, and I’ll run towards Carrington, turn around, run back and go all the way to Newcastle Baths. 

“That’s about a 10km loop and I’ll do that five times a day, ” he says. 

“Somedays it’ll be 30km in the morning and 20km in the afternoon. Then every fifth day it’ll be a full 50km run.” 

On Thursdays, the TAFE NSW student may have to rejig plans around his studies. 

But, this run is not just about Lleyton Edwards. 

“In the mornings I’ll leave from Nobbys at about 6.30am, and in the afternoons it’ll be around 5pm so I’d love people to join me either before work or after work for a run,” he told the Newcastle Weekly.

While the goal is to raise $50,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation, his motivation stems from a place closer to home. 

“The reason I’m doing this is because I lost my friend to leukaemia and when he passed away he was just 20 years old and what that made me realise, is that life is just too short,” he says.

Lleyton’s mate Luke was diagnosed with leukaemia and had a bone marrow transplant to try and save his life.

Sadly, he died of complications from the transplant after he developed Graft vs Host Disease (GvHD) – a common side effect affecting 50-70% of stem cell recipients.

When Lleyton sets off on his 1,000km run, it will be exactly 12 months since he lost his best mate on 3 August 2023.

“You never know what’s around the corner,” he says.

“Even though he was fighting his battle for years, you just don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, or what tomorrow is going to bring so what I want this to do is to inspire people to get out and get moving, doing things that you’ve never done before.” 

Ironically, just three years ago when Lleyton finished high school he admits he was lost in a cycle of alcohol and self-confessed laziness. 

Weighing in close to 100kg, the young man’s mental health was declining before he sent himself out walking along Newcastle’s coastline. 

“When I first started running, I couldn’t get to 3km without stopping at least two or three times,” he admits. 

“It was a wake-up call. But, that was also what made me want to keep going.

“When you’re running you let thoughts come and go, you don’t focus on anything too deeply, and especially here I look around and think wow, this is beautiful, life can’t get much better than this.  

“If I am feeling sad or down before a run by the end I’m completely different.” 

For this run, Lleyton says his thoughts will never be too far away from Luke. 

“There are so many people that are suffering from diseases and can’t move as well as myself, they would give anything to be in my situation, so I have no right to not push myself to the limits and live up to my own expectations just because its hard work. 

“I’m doing this for those that can’t. 

“Luke was my best friend [and] still is.  

“He was one of my most loyal friends. He’s a straight shooter. He doesn’t tell you what you want to hear all the time. He’s an honest guy and that’s what I’ve always loved about him.

“He’s always been a great lover of life. Even when he got his diagnosis and we’d talk about it, you would’ve thought he had a cold, not a life-threatening illness, and he was like that right to the end.

“He never felt sorry for himself and just tried to make the most of the time he had here, and that still inspires me everyday.” 

Lleyton Edwards will begin his 1,000km run for the Leukaemia Foundation at Nobbys Beach on Saturday 3rd August at 9am.

He is inviting everyone to follow along via his Instagram page and the Leukaemia Foundation Instagram page.

“All of us here at the Leukaemia Foundation are incredibly inspired by Lleyton’s challenge to run 1,000 kilometres over 20 days to raise crucial funds for the Leukaemia Foundation and the 140,000 Australians currrently living wth blood cancer,” – Chris Tanti, CEO, Leukaemia Foundation.

“Supporters like Lleyton are extremely generous and help to ensure that the Leukaemia Foundation can continue to show up and support the 57 Australians diagnosed with blood cancer every day and provide vital services so that they can concentrate on getting through treatment and surviving their diagnosis.

“The impact of fundraisers like Lleyton can be huge with a substantial flow on effect. If he reaches his goal of $50,000, this could help the Leukaemia Foundation to fund one of Australia’s best and brightest blood cancer researchers for one year. Alternatively, it could fund ten blood cancer patients to access a clinical trial here in Australia, giving hope to them and their families for a lifesaving treatment.”

Blood cancer in Australia statistics: 

• In Australia today, 53 people will be told they have blood cancer (one person every 27 minutes). 
• 16 people will lose their battle with blood cancer today, with the disease claiming the lives of more than 6,000 people each year. 
• An estimated 1 in 12 Australians will be diagnosed with blood cancer in their lifetime – that’s equivalent to 8% of the Australian population.
• Of those diagnosed, 1 in 3 Australians will not survive five years after their diagnosis. 
• The Leukaemia Foundation found that blood cancers combined is the second highest cause of cancer related deaths in the country making blood cancer one of the nation’s most deadly cancers. 
• This year, 19,500 Australians will be newly diagnosed with blood cancer such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma, and come 2035, blood cancer diagnosis per year is predicted to double. 
• More than 140,000 people are living with blood cancer or a related blood disorder in Australia today.  
• Over the past 10 years alone, the incidence of blood cancer has soared with an increase of 47%. 
• Blood cancer does not discriminate. It can develop in anyone, at any age, and at any stage of life, from children to adolescents and young adults to working adults with families and older Australians.  
• Unlike many other cancers, there are no screening programs available for blood cancer, and there is no way to prevent blood cancer through lifestyle change. 

Since 2000, the Leukaemia Foundation has funded over 360 blood cancer research grants, representing more than $86.5 million in blood cancer research funding in today’s current dollar value.  

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