Bin to Bin 2025: Runners set to take on 42km marathon between Mt Walker and Narembeen CBH bins to help others

The popular phrase “no pain, no gain” and a drive to help regional families doing it tough will be front of mind for dozens of runners taking on a charity marathon from the Mount Walker to Narembeen CBH wheat bins on March 2.

Among those running the Bin to Bin will be Hurt to Help founder Ethan Stirrat, for whom the saying is not just that but something his life has come to revolve around.

The 25-year-old doctor, who grew up in Muntadgin, has spent years dedicating his life to helping others and putting himself through the wringer to do so.

In late 2023, he and his mother Lynda Cornish founded Hurt to Help — a charity that encourages people to raise money for West Australians going through tough times by pushing themselves to the limit physically.

Stirrat himself leads by example as part of the fundraising efforts, and said it was while running ultramarathons in his early 20s that friends and family suggested he start to raise money for good causes.

“Coming from the country, and working as a medical student, I saw the discrepancy in care and the obstacles people from the regions had to face,” Stirrat said.

“I almost felt guilty that others had been dealt a worse lot in life, and I wanted to help.”

Stirrat said transparency was a key cornerstone of Hurt to Help, with donors connected with the people they have helped so they can see how their money used.

“I really wanted to create a connection between the donor and the recipient,” he said.

“If friends and family were going to be giving up their hard-earned cash for my running pursuits, I wanted them to be able to know how it was making a difference.”

Stirrat said Bin to Bin — a standalone event run in collaboration with the Shire of Narembeen in conjunction with Hurt to Help — was born out of an idea by Narembeen locals Rebecca and Mikaela McCall, who approached Stirrat and the Shire to help make the event happen. The first event was held in 2024, attracting more than 80 runners and raising tens of thousands of dollars.

“It has grown into an event that not only raises money, but it also attracts more people to Naremebeen,” he said.

“Athletes can make a meaningful difference in not only their own life, but in someone else’s lives.”

While Bin to Bin is one of Hurt to Help’s major fundraisers, other athletes from across WA have also supported the charity by taking part in various challenges, including the Rottnest Swim and Ironman events.

Bin to Bin will kick off early on March 2, with the biggest run a 42.2km solo and options for a marathon or half marathon solo, duo or a team of four.

After the run, participants are encouraged to stick around to enjoy entertainment, food trucks, games, market stalls, and live music at the Narembeen Oval.

In just two years, Hurt to Help has been able to help five families facing insurmountable challenges in regional WA.

The first family Hurt to Help was able to assist was the Gilpin family, of Karratha, after Amanda and Craig Gilpin’s daughter Hollie was diagnosed with Batten disease, a rare neurodegenerative condition, in 2021.

In February 2023, the organisation donated $20,000 to help the family move from Karratha to Albany to be closer to care and adapt her home to be more suitable to her wheelchair.

The second family it helped was the Reynolds family, of York, after Brittany and Clark’s daughter Eliza was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Her family has used the $20,000 allocated to go to the US to access specialty treatment.

A third family, Katrina and Julian Le Plastriers, of Karratha, have also received assistance from Hurt to Help after the family patriarch and father of two little boys, Oscar and Henry, received the heart-breaking news that his bowel cancer could not be cured.

Adrian and Liz Ripper, of Merredin, were also aided by Hurt to Help after tragically losing their son Hartley Ripper to sudden unexpected death syndrome last year.

And the fifth family, the Price family, also of Merredin, will use their donation to take their daughter Brooklyn to the US for specialised therapy and chemotherapy to help treat her inoperable Ewings sarcoma.

Stirrat said he had been overwhelmed by the support at last year’s Bin to Bin even, with volunteers and runners travelling from far and wide to take part.

His father, Scott Stirrat, and mother, Lynda Cornish, still live and farm in Muntadgin.

His brother Kye works as an engineer and his sister Cobie is studying Occupational Therapy at university in Perth.

Scott — the Shire of Narembeen president — is both incredibly proud of his son and enthusiastic about the benefits Bin to Bin brings to the local community.

“It’s an event that attracts people from outside of town, which is a benefit for local businesses and it also helps to put our Shire on the map,” he said.

“These events bring people together, which country towns do very well.

“The atmosphere last year was absolutely fantastic, the local volunteers that put their hands up were nothing short of spectacular.

“Narembeen never has any shortage of volunteers… so it is not surprising, but still spectacular.”

Hurt to Help also has a grower number and is accepting grain donations from farmers via CBH Group’s online portal Loadnet.