By Sophie Baldwin & Andrew Mole

IN the predawn darkness outside Mildura hospital on Monday last week, Ben Welch was ready to run 380km up the Murray River to Echuca with the ambitious dream of raising $150,000 for headspace.

And if he got there – to Echuca and to his fundraising target – headspace sites at Mildura, Swan Hill and Echuca would each receive $50,000.

On Friday, Welch r...