Most of the miles that have shaped me didn’t happen on race day. Just me, trying to outrun the things I didn’t know how to face. Those are what I call “Ghost Miles”. The quiet, invisible miles that don’t show up on social media but leave a mark on your life. And I’m not just referring to miles you physically run. "Ghost Miles" - are the miles run by the mind. 

 

In September 2020, my grandfather took his life. There was no note, no explanation - just a sudden absence that left a lot of unanswered questions. Over time, that loss turned inward. I was diagnosed with anorexia in December 2022, and in late 2023, I was signed off work for three months to focus on recovery. Before all of that, my grandpa and I used to run the Two Oceans Half Marathon together. It was our thing - side by side the whole way, crossing the finish line hand in hand. It felt like the joy of it died with him.

 

In late 2023, I started running again. No plan, no expectations - just running. I went back to the Two Oceans Half in 2024 and finished in 2:46:08 - nothing to brag about, I ran, I finished, I felt something again. What stood out wasn’t the result - it was the people. Strangers lining the route. The Cape Town running community showing up with everything they had. That day reminded me what it feels like to belong.

 

Since then, running has become much more than a sport. It’s become a way of healing, processing, and reconnecting with life. And as I’ve grown into that, I’ve also realised how lucky I am to have had support - a community of runners, friends, people who’ve walked alongside me when I didn’t think I could do it alone.

 

I had support.

 

I had people who believed in me, who made space for me to heal, who showed up. A lot of people don’t have that.

 

It’s not just my run. It’s an invitation. This is an open call - ordinary people with extraordinary reasons - committed to running every single kilometre of this journey together. Not for glory. Not for records. But to show what’s possible when a group of people support each other. This run is about more than distance. It’s about building something for the people who are still in the Ghost Miles. The ones fighting battles no one can see. The ones who feel alone in their grief, their mind, their doubts, their silence. I want this run to be a space for them.

 

This isn’t about the spotlight or proving something physical. It’s about meaningful human connection. About making space. About showing that even in the middle of mental illness, grief, or doubt - you can still move forward, always.

 

Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder and many who make it through, recover physically, but never mentally. Most people don’t talk about that. Recovery doesn’t always look like a straight line - it looks like showing up when you’re tired, and having people who will support you when things get tough. This goes for any mental illness.

 

For me, running has helped me build a life worth choosing again and again.

 

The Namibia to Cape Town run is a way to carry that forward - for the version of me who felt invisible, and for anyone else still out there, still running their own Ghost Miles in silence.

 

This is for them.

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I've poured my heart & my soul into this.

 

Because Ghost Miles count too.

 

And this time, we’re not running them alone.

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xx - Dani

"Running Towards & Running for Full Enjoyment of Life"

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Any and all profit made from this event will be donated