General News
9 October, 2025
From Dimboola to Rainbow: teacher’s 70km run for a cause
When Dimboola teacher Lochlan Stenhouse sets off on a 70-kilometre run to Rainbow this week, he’ll be chasing more than a finish line, he’ll be running to raise awareness and funds for mental health.
On Thursday, October 9, he is stepping up to raise much-needed funds for Mental Miles, an Australia running club linked with headspace.
After joining the school in 2025, the Deakin University graduate observed that students faced problems similar to those of their city counterparts but lacked access to the same services.
“Just as I started teaching I noticed, through building connections with the kids and the school, I was seeing a lot of what's happening in the everyday world,” he said.
“Coming from Geelong… [I realised I had more] exposure to probably a lot more opportunities than what some of these guys might have, just because of the location.
“That obviously plays a huge part in our self belonging, confidence, and who we are.”
One day, his commute between the two towns sparked an idea for how he could contribute positively to the community: running an ultramarathon to raise money for mental health.
“I just travel along the Dimboola-Rainbow Road every day,” he said.
“It was something that I've wanted to do for a while - to challenge myself - but I didn't have a real drive behind it to get me to actually follow through.”
A passionate mental health advocate, Mr Stenhouse realised he could be a positive role model to his students through action.
“I spend the majority of the day with these guys; it's an opportunity to be more of a leader and lead by example in the space that we should probably focus on,” he said.
“We want to provide the right tools and strategies that'll help them after school.”
Before his feet hit the bitumen, the young PE and humanities teacher has blitzed his modest goal of $500.
To date, he has raised more than $2650 for Mental Miles.
“The community support has been incredible,” he said.
“It's been unbelievable, just the amount of support that I've received.
“Honestly, it's one of those things that you don't think people aren't going to get around in a way… I've never done anything like it before, so I didn't know what to expect.
“It's been really eye opening to how much people are just willing to get around the good cause and back somebody in, even if they don't know me.”
While Mr Stenhouse has run “a couple of marathons and half Ironmans in the past,” the distance is new to him.
“I do have somewhat of a familiarity around running long distances, but never, never quite the 70,” he said.
“I think that was part of the reason to do it as well, because when something scares you, but also excites you, then you should probably do it.”
To showcase the achievement, Rainbow P-12 is hosting a mental health afternoon featuring headspace on site.
To reach the school by 1.30pm, Mr Stenhouse will leave Dimboola by 4.30am.
“You never know what to expect, so I’m heading off early,” he said.
“If I need to take an extra five, then leaving at 4.30am puts me in the best position to be there at 1.30pm.
“I've got a support crew that are going to cruise with me from Dimmy to Rainbow, and then when I get into Rainbow at about one o'clock, I'm going to meet with a group of students at the Rainbow Lake.
“They're going to finish the last three kilometers off with me, which is super cool.”
To donate to Lochlan Stenhouse’s cause, visit https://fundraising.headspace.org.au/fundraisers/lochlanstenhouse/mental-miles.
