Mother of four inspiring others to take on marathon challenge

The return of the Toowoomba Marathon was particularly special for one Garden City running family. Here’s why.

It was a family affair at the inaugural Toowoomba Marathon for the Magarey family, with all six lacing up their running shoes on Sunday.

Melanie Magarey was the first female to cross the finish line in the half marathon event, which saw her run an impressive 21km in under an hour and a half.

The event, presented by Wellcamp Airport, is the Garden City’s first major marathon in a number of years.

Melanie Magarey is the first female to finish the half marathon of the Toowoomba Marathon event, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

As a mother of four, Mrs Magarey said she saw the sport as an opportunity to have some time to herself.

“It’s just so good for your mental and physical health, and it’s a great thing to do as a family,” she said.

“It’s such an accessible sport for families as well, you can always head to a park and run together.”

Having joined a social running club in the past two years, Mrs Magarey said her family had only grown closer from the bonding experience.

“It is really motivating (being in a running club) because we train with such great people,” she said.

“The running community (in Toowoomba) is just so encouraging too, it doesn’t matter whether you’re at the front or further behind.”

The inaugural event was particularly special for Mrs Magarey, whose eldest daughter Laila took out second place in the 5km event, and son Judah placed first in the 2km event.

Judah Magarey wins the 2km race of the Toowoomba Marathon event, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

In a few short weeks, runners participating in the Gold Coast Marathon will take their places at the start line, and among them will be the Magarey family.

Mrs Magarey said the Toowoomba Marathon was a great warm up ahead of the Gold Coast event on July 6 and 7, where she’s set to take on the 42km marathon event.

The 21km half marathon course included some steep hills with runners taking off from Toowoomba Sports Ground, looping around Picnic Point and out to Prince Henry Heights before finishing back at the sports grounds.

Mrs Magarey said the uphill course was the most challenging she had completed and she was eager for the event to return in 2025.

“We will definitely be there if (the event) comes back next year, it’s such a great asset for Toowoomba to have, and it’s been such a huge hit among the community,” she said.

For any mums who might be sitting on the fence, Mrs Magarey encourages them to take the leap and join a local running club.