About
The Weight of War

Our Mission: Shoulder the Load.

The Weight of War Run is not a charity fun run. It is a grassroots movement born out of necessity to fight the veteran suicide crisis head-on. We are a community of veterans, families, and civilians who stand together to honour the fallen, support the living, and carry the weight together.

Our mission is simple: To use a shared physical challenge to build a powerful community and raise critical funds for programs that give our veterans the tools they need to win the fight after service.

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The Symbolism: The Vest & The Budgys

What we do is symbolic. It's designed to start a conversation.

• The 10kg Weighted Vest: This is a physical manifestation of the invisible weight our veterans carry every single day. It's the burden of memories, the sleepless nights, the relentless internal battle. When you put on the vest, you are making a statement: "I see the weight you carry, and I am here to help shoulder it."

• The Budgy Smugglers: It's confronting. It's meant to be. It takes immense vulnerability to admit you're struggling and to ask for help. The budgys represent that raw, uncomfortable, but necessary step. It’s an act of defiant, gallows humour—the kind that bonds soldiers—to approach a dark subject and strip away its power.

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Our Impact: From Mates to a Movement

What started in 2021 with a few mates running along the Brisbane river has become a powerful, community-driven force. We are a 100% free-to-enter event, driven by purpose, not profit.

To date, this movement has:

• Brought together over 500 participants and thousands of supporters across our Brisbane, Karratha & virtual events.

• Raised a combined total of $42,396.36 through community fundraising and sponsorship.

• Funded a spot for more than 42 veterans on the life-changing Survive to Thrive Nation (STTN) program, giving them tangible tools to rebuild and thrive.

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Our Community: No One Gets Left Behind

This is not a race. We don't care about your finish time. We care about the person to your left and right. We start as a team, and we finish as a team. The mission isn't over at the finish line; the debrief and the beer afterwards are just as important. It’s where we connect, share stories, and reinforce the a bonds that make this community unbreakable.

This is our commitment. This is our mission.

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Join us!

Shoulder the Load. Move Together.