Only five more sleeps and I’ll be running the Dublin Marathon. My second marathon in two weeks. But Dublin is different.

Okay, every marathon is special, but this one means a little more to me than the three I’ve already run this year — Kruibeke, Enschede and Eindhoven. Because this time, I’m not just running for myself. I’m running for Amnesty International.

I’m running for people who don’t have the same freedom I have. People who can’t simply step outside and go for a run. People who can’t always say what they think, write what they believe, or live their lives without fear of persecution.

Privileged

The simple fact that I can travel to Dublin and run a marathon makes me privileged. The simple fact that I can write and say what I want makes me privileged. Being a free man makes me privileged.

Sometimes we take for granted what a luxury it is to live in a democratic country. To be able to do and say what you want. To have human rights, and institutions that are supposed to protect them.

But sometimes it is good to pause and reflect on that. Especially in today’s world, where democracies we once thought were stable are showing serious signs of erosion.

That’s why I wanted to do something more with my running this time. Dedicate it to a bigger cause.

Fundraiser

Normally, a marathon gives me numbers to chase. A pace. A finishing time. A personal best. Dublin will be different. Dublin is about raising as much money as I can so Amnesty International can continue its work defending human rights around the world.

So this marathon won’t be measured only in hours, minutes and seconds. It will also be measured in donations.

If you want to support human rights as well, you can donate to my fundraiser. The money goes directly to Amnesty International.

On Sunday, I’ll do the running. Hopefully, together, we can make those 42.195 kilometres mean a little more.