When water-advocate and ultra-marathon runner Mina Guli committed herself to running 100 marathons in 100 days, to bring about greater awareness about the global water crisis, she didn’t spare a thought to the impact it would have on her body.

All she was interested in, was that the world, sit up and take note, that where water is concerned, we are facing several crises, if we don’t put measures in place, to protect our water sources. So she set off on her world challenge.

Mina says the issue of water is one that is very close to her heart.

“I’ve always said I can’t solve this problem alone. We need a community of people to say, we need to make saving water so famous, that it is not only the right thing to do, but the only thing to do. So more and more people are standing up and saying I’m not a runner but I will run for this purpose because we understand how much this means to you and this is really amazing because this is the way we solve global problems – together.”

But there was a major wobble in her quest. After completing just over 60 marathons as part of the water-savings-awareness-campaign, she was side-lined by a stress fracture in her upper leg. With a warning from doctors ringing in her ears that any further running could lead to permanent damage Mina had no choice but to hang up her running shoes, for now.

But her journey doesn’t stop there. When her fans across the world heard of this latest development, they came on board and “donated kilometres” to Mina’s campaign – to run in her stead. People started to volunteer to do her miles for her and not only here in Cape Town, where she is at the moment, but right across the world…. And this is how the #RunningDry campaign turned into the #RunningDry Movement.

Mina says she is humbled by the response from the public, runners and non-runners alike.

The #RunningDry campaign was launched at the New York City Marathon on Sunday, the 4th of November. Since then Mina has run a marathon a day in England, France, Italy, Uzbekistan and the Aral Sea, India, Hong Kong, China, Dubai, Jordan, Israel, and South Africa. The campaign will end on the 11th of February, this year, at a marathon in New York City.

Mina says the aim is to create a global community of water savers – and change the way we use and think about water.

If you want to get involved and support the cause, you still can. Book some miles or even a few hundred metres, run it, take a photo and tag Mina Guli in it and also use the hashtag #RunningDry.

While Mina is not able to run, she will either be doing some kilometres in her wheelchair or on crutches. She will also be meeting people in each of the towns and countries that she will visit, who have been personally affected by the water crisis and make sure, that their stories are heard.

Thank you Mina for all you have done and is continuing to do, to make people more aware of the water crises in the world.