Former Australian cricket player Adam Gilchrist will run his first marathon, the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, to raise money for cancer research. Gilchrist was known for his batting skills and for standing as wicketkeeper during matches, but was thought to dislike running. However, he has taken up running since retiring from cricket and has been training for 12 weeks in preparation for the 42km marathon in July. Gilchrist hopes to complete the marathon to support the Cancer Council Queensland and says the scenic Gold Coast course makes for a good starter marathon.

1. IN THE SWING:
Former Test
keeper Adam
Gilchrist pounds
the footpath and
(inset) walking
from the cricket
ground.
WITH an insatiable appetite for
hitting the ball over the boundary
and a love for standing behind the
stumps during his cricketing
career, anyone might have
thought Adam Gilchrist didn’t
like running.
But Gilly will prove that’s
far from the truth when he runs
his first 42km event at the Gold
Coast Airport Marathon
alongside his wife Melinda
in July.
Gilchrist, one of Australia’s
greatest Test wicketkeepers, will
raise money for the Cancer
Council Queensland and support
sponsor Suncorp Bank at one of
the Gold Coast’s biggest sporting
events of the year.
The cricketer, who was famous
for walking from the pitch if he
thought he was out, said he and
his wife had competed in shorter
events in the past.
Gilchrist said he had never
stuck to a training program like
the 12-week plan he is following
in order to complete the biggest
endurance event of his life so far.
“I’ve never really followed
any particular program training
in any capacity other than doing
a variety of different things to
keep fit but I had to stop
running,” he said.
“Everyone thinks I better get
fit so I should go for a run but I
stopped that throughout my
whole career just to preserve my
knees but since retiring I haven’t
been too bothered by that.
“I just thought it was time I
gave it a go.”
Gilchrist said the Gold Coast
as a destination and the fast-
paced reputation of the city’s
marathon course were drawcards.
“Running around even the
10km track you see just how
gorgeous it is up there and we all
know what a special place the
Gold Coast is,” he said.
“But I’ve also been told it’s a
good starter’s marathon because
it’s pretty flat.”
The professional cricketer
turned media personality will
bring his four children aged 3-13
to the Gold Coast as well.
Three of the children will take
part in some of the shorter events.
Gilchrist said he was unsure
what times he and his wife were
capable of running yet and
admitted he was only hopeful of
completing the Gold Coast
marathon.
But the 43-year-old said he
thought he would get a better
idea of his potential in the next
few weeks as he “ups the ante” on
his training.
I USED TO WALK
... BUT
NOW
I RUN
HARBOUR
jack.harbour@news.com.au
‘I just thought it was time I gave it a go’
July 4 and 5
Page 1 of 1
27 May 2015
Gold Coast Bulletin, Gold Coast QLD
Author: Jack Harbour • Section: General News • Article type : News Item
Audience : 27,386 • Page: 62 • Printed Size: 1139.00cm² • Market: QLD
Country: Australia • ASR: AUD 7,189 • Words: 418 • Item ID: 412554733
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