Long Run To Inclusion 2026

What is the Long Run To Inclusion ?

The Long Run To Inclusion is Hotel Etico's major fundraising and awareness campaign. It promotes awareness about disability inclusion and employment and raises much needed funds to support the employment of young people with disability, creating careers in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Hotel Etico’s CEO and Co-Founder Andrea Comastri will run 400km across New South Wales and the ACT, to connect Hotel Etico’s original home in Mount Victoria with the two new Academies of Independence in Leura and Canberra.

Andrea will start from Mount Victoria on 8 March and reach Parliament House on World Down Syndrome Day (21st March) and then finish at Mercure Canberra, the site of our new Academy of Independence. Click here to see the route.

What is the Virtual Challenge?

While Andrea runs along the route to Canberra, you too can join the Virtual Challenge and help us raise much needed funds!

Register for FREE and cover as much of the 400km course by submitting your runs, walks, swims, rides and see yourself progressing on the map.

You can get a head start from 1 February. How far can you go?

Share your progress on social media and get support from family, friends and colleagues to raise funds!

When is it held?
The Virtual Challenge starts on 1 February and ends 31 March. But don't worry if you have not joined yet, you can still join after the 1 February, load up your distances covered from 1 February and start fundraising anytime!

What do I need to do to take part?
Simply Register for FREE and run, walk, swim or ride as far as you can along the 400km virtual course from Mount Victoria to Canberra, and raise funds to help Hotel Etico create jobs for young people with disability.

How do I sign up?
Easy! simply click here or on Register Here on the top left of this page, fill in a few details and you are ready to go!

Is there a registration fee?
No, the Virtual Challenge is completely FREE!

Do I need to be fit to take part?
The Virtual Challenge is completely inclusive. You can run, walk, swim or ride as far as you want along the course. You have 2 full months to challenge yourself and see how far you can go.

Can I buy Merchandise
Yes! You can buy a shirt and/or cap at registration to show your support during the challenge. We will post it to you asap. Raise $1,000 individually or as a team and receive onefree event t-shirt!

​

How do I log my activities?
Once you are registered you can easily click on the button on your profile that says "Post Activity" and add the distance you have travelled.

You can also open a the FREE Runkeeper account and connect it to your fitness device.

Runkeeper connects with a wide range of smartwatches, fitness trackers and health apps to sync activity data (GPS, heart rate, calories). Key integrations include Garmin, Fitbit, Apple Watch, Coros, and Suunto. It also syncs with health platforms like Apple Health, Health Connect (Android), and apps like MyFitnessPal.

Are there prizes for participants?
You will collect digital badges by reaching specific goals along the way, in eluding distances, specific destinations and fundraising milestones.

We are also working on some limited prizes which will be announced soon, which will reward:

• Highest individual fundraiser
• Highest team captain fundraiser
• Longest distance travelled
• Fastest time to complete the 400km.

Who do I contact if I get stuck or have problems with the page?
Email us at run2inclusion@hoteletico.com.au and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

How much are you aiming to raise?

Our goal is to raise $400,000, to train and employ 40 young people with disability.

Where does the money raised go?
Every dollar raised will directly go to help Hotel Etico to employ young people with disability in the Hotel Etico Employment and Independence Program. During the program they are paid full award wages and trained in hospitality and independent living skills. After graduating, Hotel Etico helps them secure ongoing industry employment.

To find out more about the Hotel Etico and our impact visit Hotel Etico's website.

Are donations tax deductible?
Yes, any donation $2 or above is tax deductible. After making a donation, you will automatically receive a receipt by email.

How do I make a donation?
Make a donation directly to the Long Run To Inclusion or help a participant to reach their fundraising goal.

How do I change my fundraising target?
Simply login to your Dashboard and click on "Edit my page" to update the fundraising goal.

Can I set up a team?
Yes you can set up a team and invite people to join you so you can reach an even higher fundraising target.

Can I run a matching donations campaign
Yes! That is a great way to make the dollars go further. You can run a matching donations campaign up to a specific amount and/or for a specific time period. Contact us to let us know and we can organise a customised approach for you.

Can I sponsor the event?
Yes! We have a range of sponsorship opportunities for you to choose from or we can customise a sponsorship deal. Download the Sponsorship Deck and contact us to discuss on run2inclusion@hoteletico.com.au

What are the running stages run by Andrea?

• Stage 1 (Sunday 8/3/2026): Mount Victoria → Leura (25.9km)
• Stage 2 (Monday 9/3/2026): Leura → Penrith (45.5km)
• Stage 3 (Tuesday 10/3/2026): Penrith → Western Sydney Airport (17.3km)
• Stage 4 (Wednesday 11/3/2026): Western Sydney Airport → Camden Valley Inn (29.2km)
• Stage 5 (Thursday 12/3/2026): Camden Valley Inn → Tahmoor (27.8km)
• REST DAY - FRIDAY 13/3/2026
• Stage 6 (Saturday 14/3/2026): Tahmoor → Bowral (43km)
• Stage 7 (Sunday 15/3/2026): Bowral → Bundanoon (27.4km)
• Stage 8 (Monday 16/3/2026): Bundanoon → Marulan (31.2km)
• Stage 9 (Tuesday 17/3/2026): Marulan → Goulburn (39.5km)
• Stage 10 (Wednesday 18/3/2026): Goulburn → Tarago (39.2km)
• Stage 11 (Thursday 19/3/2026): Tarago → Bungendore (31km)
• Stage 12 (Friday 20/3/2026): Bungendore → Queanbeyan (33.4km)
• Stage 13 (Saturday 21/3/2026): Queanbeyan → Parliament House (14.9km)

Can I support along the course?
Yes! Andrea would love for you to come along and support him at various locations along the way! We will be releasing details of locations and times over the coming days and weeks leading up to the 8 March.

Will there be activations along the course?
Yes! We are finalising the details of some exciting spots along the course and at the start and end of some of the stages where you will be able to come along and support the physical run and cheer Andrea on, as well as participate in special activities and photo opportunities. Watch this space...

Will I be able to receive updates about the physical run?
Yes, we will be posting live updates, photos and videos along the course and you can follow Andrea on Strava.

What happens at the end of the physical run on 21 March?
We are planning what we call the Finale March for Inclusion from Parliament House to Mercure Canberra. After reaching Mercure Canberra and some official celebrations, we will be able to celebrate further at the Canberra Beer and Cider Festival, held at Mercure Canberra that same day!

We will release more details over the coming weeks. The distance between Parliament House and the finish line at Mercure Canberra is (4.8km).

Do you have any other questions?
Do not hesitate to email us at run2inclusion@hoteletico.com.au