As Aotearoa’s major provider of rehabilitation for those with brain injury including concussion, the ABI Rehabilitation team views the recent death of a young New Zealander with extreme sadness. He was 19 and had his life in front of him. Our heart goes out to his whānau and friends.
They participated in a recently invented sport in which he and his friends did not understand the true risks. This activity, now known as Run-It Straight, is being glorified across social media platforms and, even more concerning, participation in official events comes with significant financial incentives.
What the organisers and promoters of this activity fail to disclose is the reality of the medical consequences. Running head-on into another person at high speed, without protective gear, is not just dangerous—it can be deadly. The forces involved in such collisions far exceed what the human brain and skull can withstand. Even with medical staff on hand, the damage caused in an instant can be irreversible.
The risks include:
• Concussion, which may seem minor but can cause long-term cognitive issues, memory problems, and emotional dysregulation.
• Second impact syndrome, where a second blow to the head occurs before a first injury has healed—this can be rapidly fatal.
• Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can result in permanent disability, impaired motor and cognitive function, and impairment of speech and memory.
• Cervical spine injuries, which may cause paralysis or death.
• Intracranial haemorrhage, where bleeding in or around the brain may require emergency surgery, often results in lasting impairment.
No amount of supervision, medical presence, or event regulation can eliminate these risks. Brain tissue does not heal like muscle or bone. Once injured, the impacts can last a lifetime—or end it.
ABI Rehabilitation’s message is clear and urgent: Run-It Straight needs to stop—immediately. We cannot allow young people to be lured by viral fame or prize money into activities that put their futures, and their lives, at such devastating risk.
Position Statement on Run-It Straight
