We met bright and early at 5:30am and proceeded to get going right on time as many women in the group had to get going to work and uni after. Our route took us from the cliffs at Kangaroo Point, beside the Brisbane River to the Goodwill bridge, by the botanical gardens, across the storey bridge then back to our starting point.

Many of the ladies in the group were training for events over the Gold Coast marathon weekend, Park2Park  amongst other races or just getting fit after some time out. I find it fascinating to chat to different people about their running journeys, why they run and enjoyment they get. Many run for the social aspects, some run as it’s a time efficient exercise to escape a busy life (one girl was in 2nd year medicine, just having finished exams), some run to meet new people and others run because their kids are now grown up and they have more time to themselves for training. I even chatted to a few people who like to pick races to train with as a holiday destination and target these each year then take some time out after. I love it how running brings people together of all ages and abilities and this group was no different. Chris directed the ladies on the course and everyone ran at their own pace, chatting to each other as they went along. I think I ended up running close to 8km at just over 6min pace but some ladies were running faster and some a little slower.

For more information about how to join GaleForce Running visit here. There are groups for everyone meeting at various times of the week in locations around Brisbane and Ipswich.

By Benita Willis