Kane Cornes is officially part of the Telethon hall of fame after his amazing 84km effort.
The Seven commentator and former Port Adelaide midfielder raised more than $500,000 and in crossing the finish line of his punishing double-marathon challenge at 12.30pm on Thursday, he proved there is no limit to what can be achieved when West Australians rally together for sick kids.
Exhausted but triumphant, Cornes said it was a relief to complete the challenge on Rottnest Island.
“I’m feeling relieved, and yeah, proud of everyone. Like, it was such a big effort,” Cornes said.
“This has been a long time in the making. So, to raise half a million dollars or over is just incredible and inspiring.
“Yeah, it was hard, but we knew it was going to be hard. It got reasonably hot towards the end, and the course wasn’t easy.
“It was beautiful, but it was quite hilly. But had lots of support out there.”
Describing the sheer physical pain after racking up 84.4km on his legs, Cornes admitted his body took a severe beating.
“I just ache, just really achy,” he said.
“First world problems, but my feet are really sore, so I had to change the shoes at one point there because my feet are pretty banged up, but I’ll be OK.
“Body’s been better . . . that last lap hurt . . . it was getting pretty warm out there, so yeah, a couple of marathons in five days sort of gets to your legs in the end. But got through, and I’m glad it’s over.”
Despite the grueling conditions and an injury scare out on the course, Cornes said his determination to cross the line for WA’s sick kids never wavered during the five-and-a-half-hour ordeal.
“We were out there for a long time . . . but no, I was never concerned that I wouldn’t finish,” he said.
“I had a bit of a twinge in my calf at about 22km, I thought ‘I hope my calf doesn’t tear’, but it didn’t, and the old legs hung on enough.”
Surrounded by a high-spirited Fat Cat, media crews and a sea of passionate supporters, Cornes gritted his teeth through another brutal 42.2km — just five days after conquering the Perth Running Festival marathon.
Rotto provided a picturesque backdrop of breaching whales off Little Armstrong Bay and plenty of lighthearted moments.
The first lap looked like a breeze for Cornes.
During his second lap of the island, Cornes maintained a swift six-minute-per-kilometre pace alongside Premier Roger Cook.
The pair paused along the to grab an ice-cream and pose for selfies.
At the halfway mark, Cornes turned to the Premier, joking: “I don’t think I’ll make the distance.”
By the third lap, the physical toll was undeniable with Cornes describing himself as “a bit banged up”.
“But we’ll get there,” he said.
Premier Cook said it was his morning preparation that prepared him for running alongside such a legend.
“I did carb load on a cream bun from the bakery,” he said.
“I spent a lot of holidays here as a kid. It was always a cream bun first thing in the morning.
“So the moment I got off the ferry, I couldn’t resist but to get into a cream bun.”
After finishing his 10km loop, Mr Cook declared the experience “terrific”.
“It was an honour to run with such a superb athlete as Kane, but it was even better to be here for Telethon, raising money for sick kids in Western Australia and doing it in one of our iconic tourism assets.”
When asked if the AFL legend had slowed his pace to accommodate him, the Premier laughed.
“We got to run at a decent pace, have a bit of a chat along the way, have a bit of ice-cream . . . I told him a little bit about the island, its incredible history and the amazing environment that we have here.”
At the end of lap two Cornes and the Premier were greeted by a guard of honour formed by school children.
High-fiving every single child, the footy legend charged straight into a high-stakes goal-kicking challenge alongside four-time Hawthorn premiership hero Luke Hodge.
Hodge slotted his first two kicks smoothly, with Cornes and Hodge trading successful goals.
But it was the kids rallying behind Cornes, chanting his name as he lined up a crucial final kick, that successfully unlocked $100,000 for Telethon, donated by Commbank.
Not to be outdone, Fat Cat was invited to pull off a goal of his own after receiving a few last-minute tips from Hodge.
Seven’s mascot sent the ball right through the middle, raising an additional $100,000 and sending the crowd of kids into complete meltdown.
Luke Hodge didn’t stop at goal kicking.
Taking the fundraising thrills to the extreme, the Hawthorn icon jumped out of a plane into Salmon Bay.
“It was an adrenaline rush,” he said just after landing.
“I was a bit nervous. There was a few people who went before me, and when they jumped out, I sat there and I thought, ‘should I be doing this’.
“But for the cause, going to Telethon, it was exhilarating. The views from up there on Rotto were perfect. The weather was amazing, and we landed safely, which was the most important thing.”
After morning weather delays, Hodge was all systems go the moment the skies cleared.
“I woke up this morning thinking it’s a yes, and then it was a yes and a no . . . but as soon as they said, ‘Yep, we’re going for it,’ it was full attack, and glad we did it.”
Reflecting on Cornes’ double-marathon effort, Hodge admitted he preferred the open sky to the pavement.
“I rode the first 10km with him, and you could sort of see how sore he was, how much pain he was going through,” Hodge said.
“After watching what Kane had gone through over the last five days, how he recovered. . . . I think we played to our strengths.
“His strength is definitely running, and my strength out of the two is jumping out of a plane.”
Hodge declaring he has already made promises for Telethon 2027.
“I committed to next year. If they want to do it again next year for Telethon, I’ll do it again.,” he said.
“That’s a promise, I’m more than happy, especially if you’ve got views like this.”
Triple M’s Xavier Ellis and Katie Lamb chased Cornes down on e-bikes to trigger another $50,000 donation from Commonwealth Bank.
“We are in absolute awe of the Corn,” Lamb said.
“Two big runs, one big cause, and it’s just been so much fun to be part of it. A day like this, I wouldn’t miss it.”
Ellis said Cornes effort was nothing short of “exceptional”.
“To get Eastern States celebrities over to do stuff for Telethon, extreme stuff, put their bodies through pain and endurance challenges . . . it’s remarkable,” he said.
“The mental strength of Kane Cornes is something that not many of us manage or have, and he’s just ploughed through two marathons in five days.
“So yes, it’s for the kids, and we always say it’s for the kids. But you need exceptional things to happen, and Kane’s done that.”
Eleven-year-old Seaforth Primary school student Hunter was beaming as he watched Cornes finish.
“I think he did really well, and I could never do something like that. It was so far,” Hunter said.
“It’s really kind and very considerate for other people, and not just about yourself and stuff. It’s really good what he did for Telethon.”
CommBank Business Bank supported Kane’s amazing Rotto run and helped drive the tally past the magical $500,000 mark through the day’s various challenges.
Chris Williams, Executive General Manager at CBA, praised the incredible community spirit.
“It’s absolutely fabulous,” he said.
“It’s such a great cause for the people in the community of Western Australia, so we’re super excited to be a major supporter for the Rotto Run.
“As he completes different tasks and challenges, we donate a little bit more. So by the end of this event, we would have donated half a million dollars.”
Cornes was shocked to hear how much he raised for the cause.
“$500,000 for Telethon . . . I can’t believe it, like blown away,” he said.
“The generosity of Commonwealth Bank has been incredible. Half a million bucks is hard to get your head around. So yeah, I just can’t believe it. Really proud of everyone for their efforts.”
Every painful step Cornes took around Rottnest Island sets the tone for the 59th annual Telethon weekend, which starts at RAC Arena this Saturday.
Cornes’ mammoth challenge has raised more than $648,000 so far, with the grand total to be revealed live at Telethon on Sunday.
You can still donate to his incredible efforts at telethon7.com/kaneschallenge.
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