Australian country artist James Johnston embarks on a 100km run for charity
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20.01.2025

Australian country artist James Johnston embarks on a 100km run for charity

james johnston
Words by staff writer

Ready, set, go – James Johnston has taken off on a run to Tamworth in support of the Ronald McDonald House.

Country star James Johnston is lacing up his runners for a 100km charity trek from Armidale to Tamworth, dropping his latest single Hell Boy along the way before co-hosting next weekend’s Golden Guitar Awards.

The two-time Golden Guitar winner and ARIA nominee kicked off his four-day Road to Tamworth journey yesterday, aiming to raise $10,000 for Ronald McDonald House. Fans keen to hear Hell Boy before its official release can score an early listen by chucking some coin toward the cause through Johnston’s website.

Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.

The new track sees Johnston getting deep about dadhood, reflecting on passing down life lessons to his own kids. “There’s a special kind of magic in watching your children grow,” Johnston says. “As a dad, I’ve found myself echoing the words of my old man, instilling the same values in my boys.”

Music lovers along the route won’t miss out, with Johnston hosting pop-up campfire gigs each evening in Uralla, Bendemeer, Moonbi and Kootingal. The final stretch lands him in Tamworth, where fans can join the last kilometre starting at 7:30am from Peel Street.

The run leads into a massive weekend for Johnston, who’s up for four Golden Guitars alongside Lee Kernaghan, including Song of the Year and Single of the Year for their collaboration Who I Am. He’ll swap his running shoes for hosting duties at the 53rd awards ceremony, sharing the stage with Max Jackson.

It caps off a monster year for Johnston, whose debut album Raised Like That scored an ARIA nom for Best Country Album and dominated the ARIA Australian Country Albums Chart for 26 weeks. With 80 million global streams under his belt and platinum certification, Johnston’s been busy taking his “electrifying voice and array of feel-good country songs” across the country, from CMC Rocks to Meatstock.

Catch Johnston’s one-off headline show, The Music That Made Me, in Tamworth before he takes the Golden Guitars stage next weekend.

Keep up with James Johnston here.