Gold Coast volunteers run in Gold Coast Airport Marathon to raise money for the charity

A GROUP of volunteers will run in this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon to raise money for the charities they support.

Sophie Curnow (left), Shelly Ostrouhoff (Make a Wish Foundation), Steve Harrison (for Corina Foat), Liz Proctor (for Radio Lollipo's Children's Charities), who are all taking part in the Gold Coast Marathon with a message about the charities they are supporting. Shown is them during a photo shoot in Broadbeach, Gold Coast. Picture: Regi Varghese

LIZ Proctor admits she is not a runner, but the Southport resident is one of many people who are using a charity to spur themselves along across a range of distances at this weekend’s Gold Coast Marathon.

Ms Proctor has been a volunteer with Radio Lollipop for almost two years and said this would be the second year in a row she was running to raise money for the group, which provides care, comfort, and entertainment for sick children in hospitals.

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“I volunteer every week with them at the kids ward and I just love the work that the charity does,” she said.

“I love the fact that Radio Lollipop is 100 per cent volunteers, so every cent that is raised is spent on the kids.”

Ms Proctor will be running the 5.7km course and has been training hard in the lead up.
“I am by no stretch of the imagination a runner and I am probably the one out of the group that isn’t striving for a personal best time, I’m just doing it for the fun,” she said.

“Five of us did it last year and this year we have a team of 15, with some doing the 5.7km course and others doing the 10km.”

Ms Proctor’s fundraising efforts are part of Suncorp Bank’s runPositive campaign which encourages people to share the reasons why they run.

Also taking part is Burleigh Heads personal trainer Sophie Curnow who is running to inspire others.

“The Gold Coast Marathon is such a beautiful course and there are spectators all over the place so everybody is cheering you,” she said.

“The feeling you get from running and achieving your goals in an event like this is just overwhelming.”
It is the second time Ms Curnow will be running the marathon and she said she loved the event when she took part last year.

“Maybe because it was a year ago I’ve forgot the pain and only remember the good, but I went really well and found it pretty nice actually,” she said.

The Gold Coast Marathon will be held this weekend.

For more information visit goldcoastmarathon.com.au