When Moranbah miners Luke Mitchell and Dan Prien signed up for the 2025 Great Wheelbarrow Race, they knew they were in for a challenge. Held each May in Far North Queensland, the charity event sees teams push a wheelbarrow 140 kilometres from Mareeba to Chillagoe over three days to raise money and awareness for community causes.
“We both really enjoy running and the physical challenge the Great Wheelbarrow Race provides is one that excited us. It’s a unique concept jumping in and out of a moving bus and pushing a wheelbarrow for 140km.”
The pair only committed to the event in February, leaving little time to train and most of it involved pushing a wheelbarrow around an empty housing estate in Moranbah.
“We got plenty of strange looks and a few questions from onlookers!
“We didn’t know how we’d hold up physically or mentally. Neither of us had a great deal of experience with long distance running, only one marathon between us, so we had to lean on our general fitness from running as a hobby.”
But it wasn’t the physical test that drove them, it was the cause. Both men ran in support of TIACS – This Is A Conversation Starter – a not-for-profit mental health service offering free, professional support to tradies, truckies, farmers and blue-collar workers. TIACS exists to break the stigma around mental health in industries where people often struggle in silence. It’s fully funded through donations and community-driven initiatives, including sales from TradeMutt workwear.
“Everyone unfortunately has their own story with losing a friend, colleague or loved one to mental health. It was the loss of a mutual friend and colleague three years ago that led us to want to raise money for TIACS.”
Dan grew up in the Mareeba region and was already familiar with the race’s strong community roots.
“The event was designed to raise money for local charities and spread awareness for their cause and purpose. The community gets right behind it, and all the volunteers help it run smoothly, over $249,000 was raised this year.”
The toughest moment came on the second day.
“It’s the longest day, over 62km with more than 600 metres of elevation, including the Lappa Range. The only thing that got us through was the drive not to let each other down.”
They broke the existing duo record by five minutes, only to have another team set a new benchmark seven minutes quicker, putting them in second.
Their efforts raised more than $7,000 for TIACS.
“We were extremely lucky to have generous support from many local businesses in Moranbah, Mareeba and as far south as Bundaberg. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
Luke and Dan will also be at this year’s Mackay Marina Run under the Run for Reg team banner, named in memory of an apprentice and mate who took his life in 2022.
“Reg was the one who brought Dan and I together to want to raise money for TIACS. In our first year doing the run, we had 19 people participate and each year the number grows.”
They’re already planning to return to the Great Wheelbarrow Race in 2026 with hopes of beating their time and raising even more money and awareness for mental health.
As for advice to others doing it tough in the industry:
“Our minds are just like machines that require regular maintenance. In industry terms, we need to practice preventative maintenance on our mental health. Simple things like creating healthy routines focused on exercise, healthy diet, limited social media, and time for yourself and your loved ones can go a long way.”
