Newcastle resident Alex Brennan has sprinted to the top of the fundraising leaderboard for the 2025 Hill to Harbour fun run, turning his personal health journey into crucial dollars for the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI).

Alex, who was diagnosed with a mental illness 11 years ago, uses regular exercise as part of his self-care routine. The upcoming 12km race has provided him with both a fitness goal and a platform to raise funds for a cause he believes in. 

“I find it easier to motivate myself to train regularly when I have something to train for,” Alex explains. “The Hill to Harbour literally runs past my house, so it is very convenient.” 

With two decades of fundraising experience for organisations including Movember and The Black Dog Institute, as well as professional fundraising work, Alex understands what motivates donors. 

“I think people are willing to support you when they see you are genuinely committed to a cause that is important,” he says. “HMRI is a world-class medical research organisation, based locally in Newcastle, so I think people can get behind that easily.” 

Alex’s fundraising approach is straightforward: authenticity connects with potential supporters. 

“People really respond well to authenticity. If you are genuinely passionate about a cause or an issue, then they will share your passion and wish to support you by sponsoring,” he says. 

His commitment to mental health advocacy stems directly from lived experience, though other health issues also motivate his efforts. 

“Mental illness is close to my heart because I live with it every day, but heart disease has taken several people in my family, so that’s also something that is important to me,” Alex says.

Adding to the excitement of the fundraising effort is Alex’s friendly rivalry with HMRI’s Head of Marketing and Communications, Mike Collins. The two have turned their participation in the 6 April event into a dual challenge, competing both on fundraising totals and race times.

To encourage donations, Alex publicly committed to completing the race in under 60 minutes if he raised $2,000; a target he recently achieved. 

“I raised $2,000 over the weekend, and I ran 12km in 1 hour and 5 minutes, so now I have 5 minutes to shave off before next Sunday,” he says. 

To meet this challenge, Alex follows a structured training program that includes weekly weight sessions and between 20-30 kilometres of running each week. This consists of two 5km pace runs and one longer run of 10-15km on weekends. 

His dedication extends to sharing training videos on social media to maintain momentum in the final days before the event. 

When asked what advice he would give others considering fundraising for HMRI, Alex is clear, “Just do it! It can be a lot of fun and very rewarding if you commit to a target and work hard to ensure you reach it. I’m living proof!” 

The Hill to Harbour run is a great example of how personal goals can have a wider impact. Supporters like Alex show that when individuals take on a challenge for something they believe in, it can drive real change. Their efforts help HMRI continue vital medical research that benefits us all. 

Whether Alex achieves his sub-60-minute goal or not, his campaign demonstrates how personal challenges can be leveraged to support larger causes. By connecting his own health journey with fundraising for medical research, he creates multiple benefits: improving his own wellbeing while contributing to advances that may help many others. 

For Alex, the race represents a convergence of personal and community health goals, proving that sometimes the most effective way to support a cause is to literally run with it. 

Want to support Alex and life-saving medical research? 
You can help Alex reach his fundraising goal for HMRI by donating here “Every little bit helps, even the little bits!” Alex says. “I’m running to support life-saving research at HMRI, the kind that could change the lives of people you love most.”