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National festival on track with NAIDOC week virtual running event

Indiana LysaghtKalgoorlie Miner
Runners gearing up for the National Deadly Fun Run Championships in Uluru last year.
Camera IconRunners gearing up for the National Deadly Fun Run Championships in Uluru last year.

It’s not too late to join some 1500 Australians, who are lacing up their runners for this week’s Run, Sweat, Inspire festival.

The festival is designed to get people off the couch and into a challenge during NAIDOC week via a virtual running event.

The event will support 16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have been training for their first marathon through the Indigenous Marathon Project.

Anyone can sign up for the 2km, 5km or half marathon runs, or do the full 42km, with all proceeds going towards getting a team of athletes overseas to compete in the New York City Marathon.

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Indigenous Marathon Foundation director and former world champion marathon runner Rob de Castella said the week was a time to promote physical activity and salute Indigenous culture.

Jordan Armstrong with Rob de Castella after running the City2Surf in August 2019.
Camera IconJordan Armstrong with Rob de Castella after running the City2Surf in August 2019. Credit: Pictures: Indigenous Marathon Foundation

“That is what the festival is about — encouraging people to get out the door, off the couch ... and doing some exercise,” he said.

Despite the postponement of NAIDOC celebrations to November, Mr de Castella said the decision was made to keep the annual run in July as a mark of tradition.

“In talking to the National NAIDOC Committee, they still wanted to do something because this is a traditional time when they would be celebrating and promoting the Always Was Always Will Be message, which is really showcasing land, country and culture and how strong and resilient our Indigenous culture has been.”

The festival will move from its usual spread of events — which includes the squad competing in a Gold Coast half marathon — to an online platform this year, in line with COVID-19 restrictions.

But the director said while virtual arrangements had thrown up challenges, for the first time in 10 years runners had the chance to be immersed in their community for their first long-haul run.

“We bring 16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders from right across the country — from remote communities, country towns and the major cities — and they come together initially as strangers, and develop this incredible bond and a sense of family,” he said.

“It has been challenging to do that virtually. But one of the great things is rather than taking everyone to the Gold Coast, they had to do it at home so their families have been the ones helping them. So family, friends and community have really intimately been involved in an event which would normally be delivered a long way from where they are.”

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