THE RUNNING MAN

THE TRADIE WHO RAN HIS WAY INTO THE NATION'S HEART REVEALS WHAT DRIVES HIM

- Naomi Toy

Just an average dude. That’s the way Nedd Brockmann, the sparky who ran 4000km across Australia in record time and has raised more than $2.5 million for charity to end homelessness, describes himself. It’s a description that should earn him another record – the world’s biggest understatement.

From his spectacular mullet down to his shattered and battered feet, there is little that’s average about Brockmann. His drive and determination seem superhuman. He is instantly likeable and, while it’s impossible for most of us to even imagine doing what he did, he is extremely relatable. No wonder he was able to draw a crowd of thousands to Bondi Beach to watch him cross the finish line of his epic run in October last year, not to mention the thousands more who followed his journey online.

“I think that’s why so many people got on board – because I’m just an average dude,” Brockmann, 24, tells WHO of his popularity. “A lot of people could see themselves in what I was doing – maybe not the running, but just themselves in that I’m just an average dude who’s gone on to do something not that average. I think that’s what was so relatable to a lot of people.”