THERE ARE FEW stories more powerful than that of Turia Pitt. The athlete, author and motivational speaker has spent more than a decade inspiring people around the world, not just with her extraordinary tale of survival and recovery after suffering life-threatening burns in a 2011 ultramarathon, but with her commitment to defying expectations.
Running, for Pitt, has never been just about fitness or competition. It has been a lifeline, a grounding force, and a reminder of what the human body and spirit are capable of overcoming.
This year, Pitt is sharing that message with an even wider audience as an ambassador for YoPRO’s ‘Every Runner Has A Reason’ campaign, tied to the Sydney Marathon. The initiative is built on the idea that every person lacing up their shoes is driven by something deeply personal, and YoPRO is teaming up with GoFundMe to give over $10,000 to the fundraising drives of marathoners who are just shy of their target.
“YoPRO’s support for runners in the 2025 Sydney Marathon is all about celebrating the personal reasons behind every run – from fundraising for causes to honouring loved ones,” says YoPRO Brand Manager Astrid Lefort. “By helping runners reach their fundraising goals, YoPRO is reinforcing its commitment to fuelling not just personal performance, but every runner’s reason too.”
For Pitt, that reason is inseparable from her journey of recovery and her desire to live fully, no matter the obstacles in front of her. Her story underscores a truth that resonates with runners of every level: without an authentic reason, the kilometres can feel empty, but when you connect to something bigger than yourself, the run takes on meaning.
This ethos is central to YoPRO’s activation at the Sydney Marathon. “From the Reasons of Running wall where runners will share their personal motivations, to our custom merch at the Expo that let them wear their ‘why’ on race day, YoPRO creates a space where motivation becomes visible and celebrated,” Lefort says. “These touchpoints will help transform the marathon from a tick-box achievement into a meaningful, emotional milestone – one that runners can carry with pride long after crossing the finish line.”
By championing this campaign, Pitt is encouraging others to dig into their own motivations before chasing a marathon or even a 5K. Because while medals and personal bests are milestones worth celebrating, the lasting reward of running lies in the journey itself. And when that journey is grounded in a reason that truly matters, as Pitt has shown, it becomes a transformative experience capable of changing not just how far you run, but how you live.
Here, Pitt breaks down why she runs, in her own words.
“I’VE ALWAYS RUN, ever since I was a little girl. My parents encouraged physical activity and I learned that I could manage my emotions with running. If I felt overwhelmed or lost or anxious, I would go for a run. I would come back home and although my life would be exactly the same, I’d feel more confident and a little bit more capable.
When I grew up and was working as a mining engineer, I would still go for a run when I was finding the job stressful. Sometimes you just need to get a good sweat and move your body and it’ll help you feel normal again. That’s how I ended up getting into ultramarathons.
After I got burned during the ultramarathon, I had to relearn how to run again. I was starting with no level of fitness, not really having much coordination and honestly feeling a bit useless. One of the things I found really frustrating was that the expectations for me were so low because of the severity of my injuries. Doctors would say, ‘Well, there’s still hope. You might learn to drive again, you might get married’. I found that really frustrating.
I had always been a high-achiever and I didn’t think that the burns should change that. I ended up doing Ironman events and triathlons because I wanted to prove that I was fitter than I was before the fire.
I love that YoPRO has gotten behind regular people, like the weekend warriors, with the ‘Every Runner Has a Reason’ campaign for the Sydney marathon, and it’s an honour to be an ambassador for it.
Having a really strong and compelling reason for why you run can be a really good starting point for motivation. Mine, after the fire, was that I wanted to prove I was fitter than I was before. Your reason could be that you’re raising money from a charity, or maybe someone you know is sick and you’re raising money for them. Your reason can also be more low-key, like maybe you just want to experience running a marathon for the first time, or you want to show yourself what you’re capable of.
From there, you’ve got to remember that each training session is like a piece of the puzzle. One bad session isn’t going to derail your progress. You don’t always have to smash it, or have it be a ten out of ten. Sometimes you might feel very mediocre and the run will be a really hard slog, but what you need to do is be consistent and not let those bad sessions dictate your outcome. Remember why you’re doing it.
Running can come across as a bit of an intimidating sport. There’s a lot of focus on metrics, stats, who’s the best, who’s the fastest, and that’s great, but it can feel intimidating for someone who’s new to running. The best thing to do is go at your own pace and listen to your body.
Sometimes your body sends you signals. If you’re supposed to go on an easy run, but your heart rate’s really high, it’s ok to slow down. That kind of goes against the philosophy I had when I was younger when I was like, no, you’ve gotta go as hard as you can. But listening to your body, understanding and interpreting the signals that it’s giving you can be really good.
In a race situation, have confidence in the training that you’ve done and understand that there’s going to be high points and low points. When things are really hard, I always bring it back to focusing on what a great experience running is and finding enjoyment in it.
I was only 24 when I got burnt. Fifteen years on, the way I think about success has changed. When I was younger, I really thought success was about how much money you make, how fit you are, how fast you can go. Now I think success is doing things that you enjoy, spending time with the people you love, making sure your family unit’s really strong and stable.
One of the lessons you learn from running is that you don’t need to win the race to run a personal best. Sometimes just having a go when showing up for yourself is all you need to do. We all get to participate in this incredible sport of running, just get out there and have a go.
Turia Pitt is doing a pre-race stage talk at the Sydney Marathon Expo at 11.30am on Saturday, August 30. YoPRO will also be fueling runners at the expo with complimentary protein products and personalised running wearables printed with their reason for running. Find more information here.
After the Sydney marathon, runners can head to YoPRO’s dedicated recovery space, where they’ll find complimentary YoPRO pouches. Runners can also share their motivations on the Reasons for Running wall and across social media.
