Buddy Franklin and Johnathan Thurston take on marathon program for young Indigenous Australians

They’re from separate fields when it comes to football, but Buddy Franklin and Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston are coming together for their next surprising move.

They are two of Australia’s most prominent indigenous athletes.

And come November, Lance “Buddy” Franklin, 38, and Johnathan Thurston, 42, will be giving back to their First Nations communities by running the New York marathon.

The now-retired Swans key forward and Cowboys halfback will spend the next six months training with the Indigenous Marathon Foundation’s (IMF) 12-person squad.

“When they reached out I was a bit hesitant because I’ve never run a marathon before,” Thurston said.

“But I’d seen all the great work that they’ve done, you know … It’s about upskilling the next generation of leaders in our communities, it’s not just about the marathon but also what’s next for them.”

Lance Franklin and Johnathan Thurston will be giving back to their First Nations communities by running the New York marathon. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Franklin had been looking at doing a marathon, so “jumped at the opportunity” to contest one of the World Majors.

“I’ve done a lot of work for this, obviously playing football for 19 years and then retiring, I think it’s really been great for me,” he said.

“It’s been really structured and I’ve set aside a few hours every day to make sure I’m fit enough to get through.

“Literally every six to seven weeks there’s a progression which is really good … I think with all the other guys and women doing it with the foundation it’s going to be pretty cool to see the progression.”

Johnathan Thurston will be in training for the marathon for the next six months. Picture: Getty Images

Franklin has been looking at doing a marathon so he jumped at the idea. Picture: Richard Dobson

The two former sporting stars maintain a fierce competitive streak and on Saturday go head to head in the Gold Coast half marathon.

When New York rolls around, Buddy is tipping JT to be quicker by a fair margin, finishing in around three hours to Buddy’s four.

“We’ve been on the WhatsApp group together and he’s been updating me, and I’ve been pretty impressed with his running,” he said.

“He’ll have me covered, there’s no doubt about that.”

Lance Franklin and Johnathan Thurston with 2025 IMP Squad members Arika Appleby, Sharman Williams and Ellie White.Picture: Nigel Hallett

The former NRL star put it down to a weight difference, insisting the 42.2km run would be just as gruelling for him.

“He’s got 20kg on me, you know, a big full-forward … I’m a little skinny halfback, part of my role was to be fit and run for days,” Thurston said.

“It’s a challenge for both of us, obviously we come from a professional sport background, but I’ve definitely enjoyed the training part of it.”

Now in its 15th year, the IMF program has mentored 156 young Indigenous Australians who have returned to their communities as “change makers”.

“That for me is the standout thing, and it’s why I wanted to be a part of this foundation,” Franklin said.

“To come together, to be together on this journey for the next four or five months, it’s going to be incredible.”

Originally published as Buddy Franklin and Johnathan Thurston take on marathon program for young Indigenous Australians