The 5-5-75 challenge is running five miles (eight kilometres) every five hours for 75 hours all to raise funds for a charity called 'LIVIN' who raise awareness around mental health and breaking down the stigma surrounding it.

"Ben and I were actually planning for the City 2 Surf that was meant to be on the weekend of our run, so our training was based around prep for that," Curtis said.

"When it all got called off due to COVID-19 we both wanted to set our sights on something that would keep us moving and push us even further."

Curtis said he had seen former Olympic Games representative and "all round good guy" Luke Jackson complete the challenge and knew straight away he wanted to get involved.

"I had a quick chat with LIVIN and we had the plan based out," he said.

According to Curtis, the training has been very full on.

"It's really different to what I usually do, I've been clocking in two to three sessions a day, six days a week and on average we're getting around 80 to 100 kilometres in the bank per week," he said.

"That's on top of maintaining our strength and conditioning programming also."

For a one off eight kilometre run, it would normally take Curtis around 32 minutes.

"I will not be doing that over 16 laps," he joked.

The boys love pushing their limits, which they proved last year when they ran in the City 2 Surf in a nine kilogram weighted vest for LIVIN to raise awareness for mental health.

"But this goes far beyond my own personal reasons and goals, this is about gaining awareness around the stigma of mental health, it's trying to boost that conversation," he said.

"Lithgow is a town of men and women who have been pushed back into a closet to keep quiet about there own mental state as it's not 'tough', or they are seen as 'weak'.

"We are doing this run to try and push that thought away, we want people to feel like they can opening talk about it as if it's just another disease."

The boys will be running the same lap 16 times starting from the Commercial Hotel and finishing near Vanguard Fitness.

The boys set the target of raising $2000 and have so far raised around $1200.

"I would love nothing more than to see $5000 reached before 12pm Sunday when we finish though," he said.

Curtis said that Lithgow truly needs a light shined on the way it treats mental health.

"I understand the feeling of not wanting to discuss due to the stigma around it, that it's weak to feel that way, and men don't cry," he said.

"I truly do understand that stigma but it's disgusting and needs to be drowned out, I also understand the worry that it'll come across as attention seeking for many, so they don't want to be a burden on anyone, this also needs to become apparent that they are not alone.

Hence why Curtis is urging people to join them on this run, to show them "they'll never be alone".

"I don't have a cure for mental health, and I don't have an answer for it, but I do want to push the questions people are uncomfortable about asking and lower the statistics," he said.

The run will take place from Thursday, August 13 until Sunday, August 16 and if you want to get involved you can donate here.

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