Athletes ready for festival of running

More than 1000 runners are expected to huff and puff their way around Bunbury this Sunday for the 3 Waters Running Festival, sponsored by the South Western Times.

The race, in its 32nd year, draws not only South West competitors but also international athletes. Sunday’s festival includes a marathon (42.2km), half-maraton, 10km run and 50km ultra marathon.

Twelve members of the Bunbury Runners Club will compete in their first marathons.

Among that group are Pauline Overington, Judy Moon, Megan Gianfrancesco and Nat Gianfrancesco, who have managed to juggle a rigorous training program of between 50km and 80km a week with work and family duties.

Megan Gianfrancesco said her pre-race nerves had been building.

“I just want to get out there now and do it,” she said.

“I’ve been doing lots of training so I’m ready.”

For Moon, finishing Sunday’s race would fulfil a lifelong dream.

“I’ve done a fair bit of training in the past but work commitments or injury has gotten in the way,” she said.

“This year I’m ready to go.”

Overington said the secret behind the group’s training regime was running with friends.

“We’ve been training together seriously for this marathon for the past four months but we’ve been running together for a couple of years,” she said.

“We credit Ian Gibbs from the Bunbury Runners Club with getting our program together.”

The course is designed to showcase Bunbury’s natural beauty and takes its name from the three major water bodies it passes — the Leschenault Inlet, Koombana Bay and the Indian Ocean.

The route also takes runners past Big Swamp.

Last year, Japanese competitor Taisaku Morimoto won the marathon in a time of 2hr:36m:24s.

The marathon, ultra marathon and half marathon walk start at 7am. All other events start at 8am.