An extraordinary story of mental and physical strength, bold costumes, the power of community in motion, and the worst thing to ask an athlete mid-run.
Did you ever know someone who ran 10 marathons in 10 days? Neither had we... until we met Hadani. This talented painter and former self-proclaimed couch potato already had some long-distance runs under her belt, but to raise awareness and funds for Speed Freaks, she felt she had to do something bold. So for 10 days in a row, she dressed up as a chicken and ran a marathon a day in Christchurch’s Hagley Park, often joined by friends, curious passersby and supporters. Everyone was happy to cheer on this crazy chicken pushing her limits for a good cause.
Naturally, we had to hear the full story straight from the source. So we invited Hadani for a chat to talk about the epic chicken run, how it all came together and what running has done for her — and still means to her today.
Alright, as your story is pretty special, let’s rewind to day one of your running journey. When and why did you feel it was time to lace up for the very first time?
When I started running, I was struggling with my mental health and didn’t know how to manage it very well. Then I read in a book that one of the things you can do is exercise or running. That this would help with your wellbeing and that it really works. And I didn’t really believe it. Like I might have said before, I never did any exercise — except for playing pool at the pub — but then I thought, well, I haven’t got anything to lose, so why not give it a try?
My sister took me for a jog around a lake, and it felt so amazing that it blew my mind. After I finished, all these endorphins kicked in. I felt so alive! I could smell the outdoor air and be in nature… It just felt so good that I started plotting when the next run was going to be and from that moment on, I got the drive to improve and was hooked.
How did you get a taste for long-distance running?
A few weeks after I started running, I watched some YouTube videos on long-distance running that people do in the States. They did this thing called a ‘miler’. I had no idea what running a 100-mile distance was like, but it looked really hard. People were suffering, and sometimes it got to the point where they couldn't go on anymore. It was one big endurance fest. And I was like: I've gotta do this!
What sparked your decision to take on such a big challenge?
I think it was the challenge itself, and I felt that I had struggled quite a bit in the past with life’s challenges and thought I might be able to make it through and survive it (laughs).
What happened from then?
I started planning my training. I knew it might take a few years to be able to attempt one of these things. I took it a step at a time and just gradually increased my distance and the trail races that I was doing. This way I strengthened my body and built time on feet so that eventually I could try running a 100 miler.
How long did it take you from your very first run to completing your first 100-mile race?
Approximately three years. My first 100 miler was the Old Forest Hanmer 100 (currently renamed to Dog Creek Timber Trail Ultra 2025) and it was exactly how it was on YouTube. There was someone curled up on the side of the track crying, another runner was vomiting and I was having mild hallucinations. Towards the end you think you are still running at a nice pace, but then you notice that others are walking at the same speed as you.
I don’t want to put anyone off, there are also fun times and you get to meet some really amazing people. And once you finish, the sense of achievement is massive, and it lasts for a long time. After recovering you're planning your next one and thinking: ‘maybe I could do it quicker, now I'm feeling even stronger.’ And: ‘What else is possible?!’
Looking back, how did running teach you about handling challenges in life beyond just the physical?
What I gained from it was very surprising. I thought that my struggles in life and my experience would help me with my running. But after a while, I found out it was the other way around. Through doing these challenging runs, I learned how to use my mind to deal with uncomfortable situations in life.
"For example, I learned to take time. If you're working towards a goal, it takes time and patience, and I never had that before. But now I can stretch things out and I learned to make small goals. Take small steps towards achievements while having a much bigger goal to work towards." - HADANI
How did you find your way to volunteering with The Speed Freaks? What drew you in?
I had been running for about a year when I heard about them. When they said they were looking for volunteer coaches, I had a chat with Anna and I figured out that their values and principles were similar to mine. So we were a perfect match. I started about four years ago and I absolutely love it.
What part of yourself did you want to bring to The Speed Freaks?
That’s an interesting question. I think I wanted to bring enthusiasm for running by sharing some of my own experiences and by having fun while doing it. I like to joke around a lot because it helps people relax. I wanted to bring some lightness and enthusiasm to getting out there and moving your body. Knowing how much running helped me, I wanted to pass that on.
And what has The Speed Freaks given back to you?
People to talk about running with (laughs) and social connection was awesome too! There’s quite a lot of stigma about addiction and recovery that I didn’t really realize until I started running with the Speed Freaks. They opened my eyes and made me realize that everyone is in it together. One of the cool things about The Speed Freaks is that we all wear the same T-shirt. There’s no label identifying who we are like ‘coach’ or ‘volunteer.’ We are all equal.
So then came the legendary Chicken Run fundraiser! How did that crazy idea hatch?
I wanted to do a fundraiser that would raise awareness about how running and walking affects your wellbeing, as well as raise some money for The Speed Freaks and get their name out there.
I struggled to think of a fundraising run that would be fun but not too crazy—because too crazy would go against the idea of movement for wellbeing. Originally, I wanted to get a wheelbarrow and run it all the way down to Dunedin, but the logistics didn’t work out. Now, I’m so glad I didn’t go with that idea!
Then my brother jokingly said: “Why don’t you do it dressed up as a chicken?” It was truly a joke, but I thought it was perfect. I ran with the idea and then I knew I had something that might work. And the rest is history!
Speaking of that history, how did the actual run go compared to your expectations?
Some things were easier, and some things were harder than I thought. If you’re about to do something like this, you have to have that kind of mindset. I thought it might get easier towards the end, but it was actually really hard the whole time. The first day was okay, but after that it mentally became about pain management.
"It’s important to mention, that I’m always very careful. If something was going to cause serious damage, I would never do it—I would stop. So, I had plans and safety measures all in place." - HADANI
The biggest surprise came from the social side. I expected to spend a lot of time running on my own, so I invited the running community to come join me. I thought it’d be a good way to bring people together and get runners from different communities to meet.
The number of people turning up to run with the chicken started to grow, and it was awesome watching that happen. In the end, I only ran 4 km on my own out of the 422 km total because the community showed up, got together, and supported the fundraiser. That truly blew me away.
I bet staying motivated between runs was tough. How did you keep your energy up, both mentally and physically?
By having two dinners to start with! I’d come home, have a dinner, and then a few hours later have another dinner. Beef burgers, soft drinks, and lots of cereal. I ate heaps, but a few hours later I was hungry again. So yeah, a lot of eating was involved.
Did you eat while running too?
Yes. I had a nutrition plan in place and that went really well. I had no problems with food, which is a common thing to go south in endurance running.
A lot of runners struggle with eating and drinking properly during races. What’s a common mistake people make that you avoided?
Keeping an eye on calories each hour. I aimed for around 200 to 250 calories an hour. I think if you just eat by feel, you might eventually forget to eat because your tummy starts to act up. You forget how much you’ve eaten and end up not eating enough because you don’t feel like it.
Another important thing is staying ahead with hydration too. This is where the FIXX Nutrition electrolytes and carb formula really helped. It worked amazingly—I got the sodium I needed, and the extra calories were great as well. I’d have a FIXX gel every two hours, which you can carry with you and just squeeze into your mouth. My favourite was the espresso flavour one, as it contained caffeine. It was my first gel in the morning, giving me a little hit to start the day and I always looked forward to that one.
Mental prep is just as important as physical. Did you do anything specific to get your head ready for this challenge?
I definitely did some mental preparation. I knew physically I should be able to handle it, but I was worried about my mind. Running around Hagley Park over and over again for ten days in a row was gonna be challenging, so I figured I’d better come prepared. I read books on sports psychology, mindfulness and even looked up chicken jokes, because laughing puts us in the best mindset!
I took a lot of that on board. When I was running, I had to accept how sore and uncomfortable my legs were. If I tried to deny how bad they felt, it made things even worse, but by acknowledging the pain it made it easier to keep going.
"I also practiced some mindfulness, which really helped when someone asked how I was feeling. That’s the moment to stay strong, because in a split second you quickly assess your body and realize you feel so terrible you don’t want to do it anymore. You think, “I need to stop.” - HADANI
So this is actually the worst question you could have been asked, and everyone was asking it over and over…
Haha, yes! I was trying so hard to manage how bad my body was feeling. Then someone would ask how was I feeling and suddenly I’d realize how terrible I felt and that it was really hard. But you know, you can’t help asking that—I’d ask the same question too! A question with a yes or no answer would probably be easier to handle.
After finishing such an epic challenge, how did you wind down physically and mentally? Did you ease out of running or stop cold turkey?
I had one day’s rest, and after that I wanted to get back up and do stuff! But I knew it was better not to. I was also totally wiped out from the excitement, the social contact, and the fun of it. It was quite overwhelming, so to suddenly go to nothing was quite a change (laughs). But I started a new painting on the second day, and that helped put my mind into something else. So that was good.
After completing the challenge, I stopped running straight away, but I did walk. About five days later, I tried jogging, and that felt pretty good, so I just slowly built back up. But I did have fatigue that lasted for two and a half weeks, and I haven’t had that from any of the other big runs I’ve done.
Was this the toughest run you’ve ever done?
Yes, mentally I think this one affected me more than any other run I’ve done. During the run I had my chicken persona ‘on’ all the time and it meant that after the runs I could also disconnect from it. When I came home, I’d take off the chicken outfit and I’m not that chicken!
For someone thinking about getting into long-distance running, what’s your number one piece of advice?
Connect with other runners either in running groups or online, you’ll learn so much.
Okay, let’s go out with a bang. Make your pick in less than 3 seconds per question.
Next run you’ll be dressed like a:
- T-rex
- Banana
- Elvis Presley
Elvis! I've even got an Elvis costume at home!
Your preferred post-run meal:
- Marry Me Chicken — Chicken breast in heavy cream, parmesan and basil
- Bang Bang Chicken — Oven baked chicken with bang bang sauce (mayo, sweet chili, sriracha, honey, soy)
- Coq au Vin — French chicken in red wine
Bang Bang! Yum!
Which chicken habit are you:
- Taking dust baths
- Gossiping in groups
- Random loud clucking when excited
Cluuuuuuuuuucking of course!!!
Hadani answered this one before I was even done asking and that’s a wrap 😊.
Top banner photo by: Centuri Creative
