For Every Run - Nils Van Der Werf (Midnight Runners)
Initially, you might question what we mean by For Every Run.
By For Every Run, we want to celebrate that despite every run being different, the motivation among us is all the same.
To use each run, to impact our lives for the better. Using running to make a positive impact on the world can present in so many different ways.
For the world's top marathoners, they break records to not only make a living but to inspire mankind.
For your relative training for their first marathon, they use running to smash what they once thought was impossible, all whilst motivating their friends and family along the way.
And for your neighbour, they've just joined a local running group to support them on their journey to run five kilometres straight.
Nils Van Der Werf embodies the spirit of 'For Every Run'. Meeting with the Midnight Runners in Sydney every Wednesday night, Nils joins the crew who run with energy, fun and colour.
A global running community, eighteen host cities make up the Midnight Runners who collectively share and experience the joy of running to make a positive impact on the world.
If you’re around Barangaroo at about 6:30 on a Wednesday night, or having dinner in and around the Sydney Harbour, you may well have noticed a stream of Midnight Runners moving as a collective under the city lights.
Nils emphasises the gratitude he has for the Midnight Runners community, who push each other to their best whilst always ensuring that the fun is never forgotten in the run.
Growing up in Regional NSW, Nils began his running journey by participating in the annual Armidale Campus City Canter 5km event. Yet it wasn’t until years later that Nils discovered Parkrun through his Dad whilst on Uni holidays in Armidale from Canberra and he hasn't looked back since.
And through Nils having fun while doing it, he's now smashing his own expectations of his physical limits.
Just last month, Nils was bringing it home under the Sydney sun to complete his first marathon. On a noticeably warm spring day where many runners suffered, Nils knew he was home as he ran down Macquarie St and into the finishing chute of the Sydney Marathon at the Opera House.
And whilst running allows Nils to smash his physical goals like the marathon, he equally takes appreciation in the feeling of freedom that running provides at the end of a day in the office.
Experiencing fresh air, the rush of oxygen and natural light on the skin, running allows Nils to relieve any stress and escape from any consuming thoughts during the day.
And when it’s time to meet the Midnight Runners on a Wednesday night, Nils describes diversity as a key factor to the group’s ongoing growth and community impact.
“You’ll always feel welcome, no matter who you are. Running with the Midnight Runners allows you to have fun and get fit while doing it while making incredible connections along the way.”
With people like Nils, we can see that the Midnight Runners truly do embody the spirit of For Every Run.