The Goondiwindi Runners Group was started by local Trevor Hoole and is a Facebook group for local runners to share their love (or hate) for running. We have a broad mix of runners from young runners just starting out with a life time of improvement in front of them to season marathon veterans who are trying to fight the slowing with age, and one international running coach who doesn’t mind sharing his experience with the humble Gundy runners. It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or veteran, fast or slow or just like wrecking a nice walk with a bit of running, the Gundy Runners group is all about supporting each other in the simple but sometimes quite painful joy of going for a run.
Every year the The Gold Coast Marathon Weekend is a very popular event for Goondiwindi Runners. With over a dozen or more runners of all levels traveling up the GC to participate in the numbers running event with up to 30000 other runners form Australia and around the world.
With this years event being cancelled due to COVID pandemic The Goondiwindi Runners Group decided to use the same date to put on our own local event to allow runners to have a safe event to train and prepare for. It was unsure how the event would look with the ever changing restrictions, but it was just there as a carrot to help pull runners from their slumber early every dark and cold morning and get out the door to train.
As it turned out the road to recovery was perfect for the weekends event, with restrictions relaxed it allowed the Gundy runners to enjoy our run together without breaking any social distancing rules. And the added bonus of the borders still being shut allowed them to incorporate a start finish line on the border in the centre our iconic bridge.
A course was design and marked out by Tim Richards and Scot McColl and Trevor made sure all members new about proceeding and off course it was shared with he Goondiwindi Tri Club as most members share a love of running. We had a great roll up Saturday morning with about 25 runners taking on the 5km, 10.7km , Half Marathon (21.1k) and Marathon (42.2km) courses with many more members having a crack on Sunday or getting it done in the towns they were visiting on the weekend.
While it was no Gold Coast Marathon, there were no timing, no prizes and definitely no ocean views, but everyone put in a big effort to challenge themselves to run as far or as fast as they had before or had for a very long time.
Special congratulation must go to Jeremy Cox and Michael Shellshear for tackling the full Marathon and also young Bronte Lane for a cracking time in the Half Marathon as a 15yrs old. But everyone should take a bow for sticking with their training and not letting the cancellation of events get in their way of enjoying their running.
And you may never know the Goondiwindi Runners Gold Coast Marathon in Gundy may be an annual event!!
Tim Richards
https://www.facebook.com/groups/259741768006189/
