By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Well, this is one off the bucket list for Berwick’s Julie McKnight.
The 45-year-old endurance runner will be living the dream while she sweats and struggles through the famous New York Marathon on 5 November.
She’ll be cheered on by a touring contingent of family and friends.
“People have told me there’s people lining the street, with 60,000 runners. I just can’t imagine what it’s going to be like.
“There’s going to be a lot of ‘Wow’ moments.”
Ms McKnight won a place at the start line through a ballot – on her third attempt. She is one of only 10,000 international runners who were invited to the 42-kilometre race.
Though not quick enough for automatic qualification, she is “good for age”, she says.
Ms McKnight has been building for the race, running up to 50 kilometres a week with the Pakenham Road Runners and with the Running in the Burbs group in Wheelers Hill.
She’s now in the tapering stage of her 12-week build-up specifically for the race.
“Training’s the hard bit – it’s longer than the race itself.
“You need a supportive family and husband to be able to fit those long runs in.
“Just getting to the start line is an achievement.”
Once overweight, Ms McKnight has proudly come a long way since taking up running nine years ago.
Her first marathon was in 2011, which has been followed by a series of marathons and 50-kilometre ultra-marathons in Melbourne and Victoria.
“Because they go for so long, you try to take in the scenery.”
But it’s hard to predict how your marathon run will pan out. Usually, there are highs and lows, including the “wall” around the 32-34 kilometre mark.
Sometimes you get a second wind, sometimes there’s no wind, she says.
“It’s as much about mind as about body.”
After New York, her next bucket-list item is the Belfast Marathon. It’s not as prestigious as the New York race, but it will be a proud moment to run in her Northern Irish homeland.
