Left to right: Wayne Prince, Tayla Prince-Saxon, Ben Prince-Saxon, Raewyn Williams. Photo / Beitor Li
Left to right: Wayne Prince, Tayla Prince-Saxon, Ben Prince-Saxon, Raewyn Williams. Photo / Beitor Li
It wasn’t that long ago that Ben Prince-Saxon was struggling to keep up with his mates on the football pitch.
He’s now completed 12 marathons in 12 months to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis New Zealand.
The Aucklander was diagnosed with the condition when he was 4 years old.
Now 25, Prince-Saxon set himself the challenge of running a marathon for each month of 2025 to give back to the charity, which has supported him and his family since his diagnosis.
On December 14, he ran his final marathon of the year at the Auckland Domain. Since completing the run, he’s surpassed his fundraising goal of $25,000, with $25,330 donated to a Givealittle page.
“It was a very special day with lots of support and it went very well ... it just exceeded my expectations,” Prince-Saxon tells the Herald.
He says there were a “good mix” of supporters cheering him on from the sidelines and those running with him on the day.
His parents and their partners, grandparents, aunties, uncles and sister all showed up to support him.
“It’s definitely the proudest moment of my life and the best year of my life in the 25 and a half that I’ve lived.”
It’s a milestone that means even more to Prince-Saxon, because prior to starting the drug Trikafta, his life expectancy was roughly in the mid-thirties.
“Trikafta is estimated to give people with CF an extra 27-plus years of life on top of their mid-30s, which is incredible,” he told the Herald earlier this year.
“My outlook on life has definitely changed a lot, just kind of knowing that there’s roughly double the amount of time I thought I was going to be here for.”
He says while he never doubted his ability to run all 12 marathons, he was a “little bit sceptical” he’d hit his fundraising target.
“To complete that part yesterday was pretty crazy. In the past seven days it’s jumped up about six grand.”
Ben Prince-Saxon's supporters following his final marathon.
The fundraiser will stay open until January 31.
It’s thanks to Trikafta that Prince-Saxon is able to run, and plans to keep doing so.
“It just helps with my health, it’s my main form of chest physio, keeping my airways as clear as possible. So that’s another bonus of what this year has been, just making sure I stay consistent without pushing too hard.”
The drug was first funded for eligible cystic fibrosis patients in April 2023, and for Prince-Saxon, it “changed everything”.
He told the Herald earlier this year, “It’s been easier to gain weight, I’m coughing a lot less ... I just have a lot more energy to run, to do everything in life that a ‘normal person’ would be able to do.”
Aucklander Ben Prince-Saxon, 25, has run 12 marathons in 2025 to raise funds for Cystic Fibrosis New Zealand.
What is cystic fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic condition causing the lungs and digestive system to be blocked with thick mucus, which can lead to chronic coughing, infections or weight problems. The severity will vary from person to person; some will have fewer symptoms than others.
In New Zealand, most people are screened for CF as babies. There is no cure, though there are treatments available. The average life expectancy for people with CF is believed by specialists to be in the mid to late 30s, according to Cystic Fibrosis New Zealand.
Bethany Reitsma is a lifestyle writer who has been with the NZ Herald since 2019. She specialises in all things health and wellbeing and is passionate about telling Kiwis’ real-life stories.
