Werribee’s Lori Fraser is training up for the run of a lifetime.
The 40-year-old is one of 50,000 runners to make this year’s New York marathon, the world’s biggest such event, which starts in November on Staten Island, traversing all five city boroughs before finishing in Central Park.
This is an even bigger coup when you consider Ms Fraser only started running two years ago.
She took on a 15-kilometre course at the annual Run for the Kids fun run in 2014, and soon after completed a half-marathon.
“I gave it a go and realised I’m actually quite good at it. Running’s really now my passion.”
She has now competed in a number of fun runs, and last year ran in the Melbourne marathon – her first full effort – finishing in the impressive time of three hours and 26 minutes.
Her time here clinched her run in New York.
Ms Fraser has now been training for the event since June, running up to 220 kilometres a month in a mixture of interval and speed sessions, hill work and long runs, combining these with bike riding and cross training.
She also joined Western Athletics this year, and credits members Phil Dunstone, Peter Burke and Peter Cashin for their support, encouragement and direction.
“I’ve been so looking forward to it, and now that it’s getting closer, I’m feeling quite daunted about it,” she said. “It’s such a big thing personally for me; it’s something that I’ve talked about for quite some time, and I’m actually going to fulfil that.
“I don’t want to just run it, I want to do well.”
