IT WON’T just be personal ambition driving 12 Wagga women towards the finish line of the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon on May 15.
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The group, members of a Can Too Foundation pod, will have raised more than $12,000 for cancer research through sponsorship of their runs.
One runner, 59-year-old Kim Dowell, had never run longer than around Lake Albert before coach Malcolm Edgar became involved in the group in February and trained them up to the point they are now regularly running 18km, just three kilometres short of the half marathon distance.
“Malcolm says we don’t need to do the (extra) three kilometres yet; adrenaline will get us across the line,” Mrs Dowell said.
She said cancer touched everybody in some way.
“In the past few years we have lost a number of family members to cancer,” Mrs Dowell said.
The other members of the pod are Sarah Luff (team captain), Jess Grant, Jess Roberts, Kara Ross, Kate Charters, Lucy Corkhill, Madi Brown, Pip Grant, Tess Luff, Vicki Warr and Emma Ryall.
Mr Edgar, who has run more than 50 ultra, full and half marathons, will run with the pod.
He said the program followed by the pod raised funds for cancer research as well as trained members to meet their challenges.
“This time it is a half marathon,” Mr Edgar said.
He said he believed the group would all complete the run within their expected time frame and most would finish ahead of their expectations.
“It’s been fantastic,” Mrs Dowell said.
“At the start of the year there is no way I would have thought I would run in a half marathon, but Malcolm said at the start that if we followed the program we would succeed.
“We have followed the program and here we are.”
The program started with running eight kilometres once a week.
The distance increased by two kilometres every fortnight.
There was also other training every Wednesday night.
Anyone wanting to sponsor individuals within the Wagga pod can do so through the Can Too Foundation website wwwcantoo.org.au.