October 9, 2015
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester is looking forward to fulfilling a long-held ambition, and it’s got nothing to do with politics.
The Nationals MP will line up for his 10th Melbourne Marathon on October 18 earning membership of the exclusive ‘Spartans’ club.
This will make him the first Federal Member of Parliament to achieve the milestone.
“To become a Spartan, you have to complete 10 Melbourne marathons and you get a running singlet, plus the respect from your fellow runners,” Darren said.
“I guess it shows how much some people will do for a singlet!
“When I struggled across the line for my first marathon in 2006, I thought I would never do it again but it’s something I enjoy and it’s a chance to clear your head after a day in meetings or at Parliament House.
“Trying to stay as active as possible gives me the energy to keep up with a busy family and work demands.
“My Parliamentary work takes me away from home a lot and if I pack a pair of runners I can normally fit in a jog at some stage during the day. I’m guessing my preparation is a bit different to everyone else – this year I’ve run in every state of Australia and even jogged around the army base in Afghanistan when I visited the troops in Kabul.
“The only time I haven’t run this year on a work trip was in Zambia at a game reserve where the locals informed me there was a good chance I would end up as ‘breakfast’ for one of the animals if I went outside the gates.
“When I’m in Gippsland, I’ve got my favourite runs in every town and you can often see me plodding along in the early morning or just before dark, whatever works with the diary on that day.”
Darren’s best time for the 42kms is 3hrs30mins but he’s not predicting a personal best this year.
“I haven’t done enough running to get down to that time this year but I will be happy to finish under four hours and just enjoy the run as much as possible,” Darren said.
“Long distance running is becoming increasingly popular and I normally catch up with quite a few Gippslanders during the marathon.
“It’s a great personal challenge and I would like to wish every runner all the best, regardless of the distance they are taking on this year.”
Pictured: Darren Chester will be changing out of his trademark #lovegippsland running top to pick up a Spartans T-shirt after he runs his 10th Melbourne marathon in October.
