‘Lucky to simply be here’: Car crash survivor Ben Hyde runs Gold Coast Marathon in incredible time

The Advertiser’s former deputy editor Ben Hyde survived a devastating car crash in 2021. Overcoming physical and mental hurdles, he has now completed his first marathon.

Journalist Ben Hyde after competing in the Gold Coast Marathon. Picture: Supplied

When Ben Hyde passed the finish line of his first marathon with a time under three hours he was overwhelmed with emotion.

Only a few years ago Ben almost lost his life in a car crash while he was driving home from The Advertiser where he works.

Drugged driver Luigi Gligora was sentenced to four years in prison, with a two-year non-parole period, and had his licence disqualified for 12 years starting from the day he is released from custody.

Ben’s family didn’t know if he would make it through and now he has run the 42.2km Gold Coast Marathon in a better time than the average man — 2 hrs 59 mins and 18 secs — around 25 mins off the Olympic qualifying women’s time.

“I feel a little bit uncomfortable saying this but I was proud of myself and what I’d achieved,” the journalist and former deputy editor said.

“I’ve had a lot of physical and mental hurdles to overcome.”

For Ben professional success was something he aspired to prior to his crash, but since his brain injury those goals are not always as achievable. Picture: Morgan Sette

Since the crash, which left Ben with a brain injury, he has been recovering and training to reach his goal of achieving a full marathon in under three-hours.

“To get that on my first marathon it was quite an achievement and I was quite overwhelmed as a result,” he said.

For Ben professional success was something he aspired to prior to his crash, but since his brain injury those goals are not always as achievable.

“I used to get great satisfaction from goals in the workplace … it became quite … depressing to be in that position where I could no longer do that through what was ultimately no fault of my own whatsoever,” he said.

“I found that running and setting a goal like doing a sub three hour marathon was a way to allow me to take a bit of ownership on something that I knew I could achieve.”

While Ben won’t be looking to run another marathon in a hurry, running is his “happy space”.

He is grateful for the support of his loving wife, family and friends who were cheering him on from South Australia.

“(While running) I was thinking about where I’ve come from, how lucky I am to simply be here and be in a position to be able to do this and how much love and support I’ve had around me and how grateful I am for that,” he said.