When Sheng set out to run 100 kilometres in a single day, he was carrying far more than a physical challenge.
He was carrying grief.
He was carrying memory.
He was carrying the weight of losing his best friend, Nate.
After losing Nate to suicide, Sheng wanted to do something that honoured his life and their friendship in a way that felt real. Something that could hold grief, but also turn it into action. That is how Run for Hope began.
From the beginning, Sheng was clear that this run was about more than distance.
On his fundraising page, he wrote about the impact of losing Nate and how it sharpened his awareness of just how many men are struggling quietly. Too often, he said, men are taught to “tough it out” and keep their feelings to themselves, even when they are hurting.
His 100km run became a response to that. Not just a test of endurance, but an attempt to start conversations, encourage openness, and support better mental health outcomes for men across Aotearoa.
He also set himself a private goal: to complete the full 100 kilometres in under 10 hours.
He finished in 9 hours and 47 minutes.
But the run was never only about time.
What the run became
Over the six months leading up to the event, Sheng shared more than training updates. He also spoke about his own difficulty articulating emotions and talking openly about them. He did not pretend to have it all sorted. He talked about taking baby steps, and hoped that by being honest about his own journey, he might help someone else do the same.
That honesty is what makes this story hit differently.
By the time the run arrived, it had become about much more than one person’s goal. It had become a story people connected to.
Friends ran alongside him. Supporters cheered him on. Messages came in from other cities. What could have remained a solitary act of endurance became something collective.
That sense of connection is what Sheng says stayed with him most. Not the finish time, but the reminder that hard things become more possible when you are surrounded by people who care.
By the end of his fundraiser, Sheng had raised $13,789 in support of mental health.
Sheng, thank you.
For your courage.
For your honesty.
For every step you took in Nate’s honour.
And for helping more men feel that they do not have to carry things alone.
