Runners in inaugural Ballarat Marathon wear yellow to pay tribute to missing mother Samantha Murphy

Runners participating in the inaugural Ballarat Marathon have made a touching tribute to a missing Victorian mother.

Hundreds of runners in the inaugural Ballarat Marathon paid tribute to missing Victorian mother Samantha Murphy by wearing yellow in the race on Saturday.

Mrs Murphy went missing on February 4 while she was out training for the marathon and has not been seen since.

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with her murder on March 7 but has not co-operated with police to help find her remains.

Runners in the inaugural Ballarat Marathon wore yellow to pay tribute to missing mother Samantha Murphy. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Participants in the marathon paid tribute to Mrs Murphy by wearing yellow clothing, a reference to her favourite AFL team the Richmond Tigers.

Her husband Mick Murphy said the day his wife went missing he did not realise anything was wrong when she did not return home, thinking she was out for a longer run.

Samantha and Michael Murphy. Source: 9 News

“She loved going running out in the bush, she would leave on a weekday at 5.30am every morning,” he said.

“I never called her because that was her time. She liked to do it by herself.”

Former Greens senate candidate Sissy Austin led the push for people to wear yellow in the marathon.

Ms Austin has also been the victim of an attack by a stranger while she was out running in a state forest near Ballarat.

She said a lot of women were running in the event for Mrs Murphy.

Many runners participated in honour of Mrs Murphy. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“It has been an incredible challenging few months for female runners in the Ballarat community, to train for a marathon while feeling terrified has been very hard,” she said.

“Myself and my incredible physio, coach and squad members are all travelling to Wadawurrung country and running the full or the half-marathon event.”

Mr Murphy said he thought his wife was out for a longer run when she didn’t return home. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Ms Austin had also organised an Enough is Enough Rally in Ballarat earlier in April that Mr Murphy attended.

He told the rally that if you saw something that wasn’t right to speak up and let authorities know.

He also spoke fondly about his wife.

‘You know, for someone so good to be gone out of the community, it’s pretty hard – she was always good to us and a good mum,” he said.

“You won’t hear a bad word about her, she was a good mother, caring and always providing for everybody.”