City2Sea

Twenty-three years ago I completed my first City to Surf. I was 8, and as the story goes, not very impressed to be out there. It’s a story that is brought up from time to time within our family and one that certainly got the limelight in the lead up to my first Marathon.

You see, when I was little I did not like the idea of going on the outdoor adventures that my family liked to participate in and whenever I was taken on one "apparently" I would make this known… the whole way!

So this event was no different, Mum and Dad had entered the family into the 14 km fun run, clearly I saw nothing "fun" about this, and while my two older sisters steamed ahead with Dad, Mum was left with the extortionate task of getting this ‘grumpy little engine’ across the finish line. Credit to her we made it, and if the below picture is anything to go by, I'd say we had a pretty good time.

While I don’t really recall any of the run itself, what I do remember is meeting my Aunty Bron and Uncle Martin afterwards in Bondi and getting to go to what was probably the beginning of chocolate cafes in Australia - Death by Chocolate.

I wonder now in reflection if this was the carrot that my Mum had used to get me to the finish line?

Yesterday I took part in the Melbourne version of the City to Surf, City2Sea. It is a 15 km run starting from the MCG then heading down around Albert Park and finishing in Catani Gardens in St Kilda.

It was a beautiful day for running and you really couldn’t have asked for better conditions. I arrived super early, mainly because I caught the train and the only one that would get me there in time for the 7.15am bag drop arrived at 6.35am. So I felt a little bit annoyed about being there so early but once I was it was a good opportunity just to sit and take in the atmosphere.

I took a seat near the Betty Cuthbert statue and slowly watched the other participants trickle in. Turns out the Golden Girl and I have a few things in common.
Firstly we share the same birth date. Secondly, the year I was born was the same year that she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. And finally, her actual first name, Elizabeth, is also my middle name.

Talk about a sign, now I knew I was in for a good run with Bet's looking over me. Good on you old girl :)

The start line entertainment was pretty good so the wait time flew by pretty fast. They had John Course on the Deck playing some classic dance tunes, followed by a talk by Mack Horton, one of Australia’s brightest young swimmer, who also did the honors of firing the starters gun for the Elite runners.

After the last Elite runner had crossed the line Jonathan ‘Brownie’ Brown took the stage to send off my group. He joked about his prerun routine involving two glasses of red wine and chocolate cake and then said he would be happy to run around 5 minute ks. Needless to say I was pretty surprised when he powered past me at the 12 km mark and looked in fine form. Maybe I’ll try the red wine and chocolate cake next race!

Personally I had a good run with an average pace of 4:48. I finished in 1:12:04 and in true Mojo style I sprinted the finish, Bet's would have been proud. I had an overall placing of 691 out of 5,430 participants and placed 102 out of 2,719 females. 

The real hero of the day however is the woman who won it - Makda Haji, a 29-year-old asylum seeker, who has a remarkable story of extreme hardship, amazing strength and resilience. To me, Makda personifies everything I know running to be.

It is the proof that your own actions can make a difference.

It is the mental strength to approach anything that life may throw at you.

It is the self-motivation to ‘just do it’.

It is the physical strength that builds with each run to make you feel stronger. And it is the hope that each run brings to life.

Reading her story is truly inspiring and has certainly fueled the fire in my belly for next year’s plans. I encourage you to read her story – she is literally running for her life and accomplishing extraordinary results.

Happy running x