Marathons are selling out in record time across Australia. What's driving the popularity of endurance events?

By Molly Slattery, ABC

What was once a physical endeavour reserved for only the most devoted of athletes, marathon running is now the sport of choice for thousands of ordinary Australians.

But how and why has a gruelling 42.2 kilometre test of mental and physical strength become the new norm for people just wanting to keep fit?

Long time endurance runner and coach Jamie Hunter believes the answer is as simple as putting one foot in front of the other.

"Running is not a complicated sport. It's something we were born to do, so of course we love it," Hunter said.

For most newcomers to the running scene, the love affair with pounding the pavement began during the pandemic.

With gyms closed and group fitness a no-go, jogging became the most accessible exercise.

Since then, the run club phenomenon has taken over with hundreds of grassroots groups popping up across the country.

For many new players, a weekly 5 kilometre run with friends, followed by a coffee and a croissant, was a gateway to a whole new world.

Mates who marathon

Caitlin Dorrough started running because of all her friends, and quickly fell in love with the community the sport gave her.

The 22-year-old Brisbane woman said training for her first half-marathon last year was "an incredible experience".

"I started running with a group who consistently backed me to meet my goals, which made it feel a lot less scary," Dorrough said.

"The more I got involved in the scene, the more common I realised it was to aim for these big, long runs and just have a crack.

"As soon as I finished the race, I knew 100 percent I was doing another one in the future."

Shelby Tillett is another young woman who recently caught run-fever.

The 25-year-old pilot is a self-described "ordinary girl" who has gone on to achieve truly extraordinary things.

Tillett only started running 18 months ago - she now has a marathon and an Ironman 70.3 triathlon under her belt.

"I remember I'd heard of Ironman but always thought of it as something totally unachievable for an average person," she said.

"Being part of the running community, you're so motivated by the people around you and all these other busy, normal people achieving amazing things."

Tillett splits her time between the cockpit of a Boeing 737 and a gruelling training regime of swimming, riding and running as she trains for her biggest goal yet.

In May she will tackle a full Ironman, which will see her swim 3.8km before cycling 180km and finishing with a marathon.

An enduring movement

Record entries for running events across the country show the appetite for a challenge among Australians is continuing to grow.

Tickets to the 2025 Gold Coast Marathon sold out in record time, with 15,000 people signing up in a matter of days.

Griffith University's director of sports engagement Naomi McCarthy said there had been an increase in young people in particular training for marathons, which have historically been dominated by middle-aged, life-long athletes.

"Ten to 20 years ago, that sort of distance was really mainly run by people over 40, because it takes a lot of maturity to be that dedicated to your training," she said.

"Now though, this trend of running as a social activity has brought younger people to it as well."

Jamie Hunter, who owns a running supply store in Brisbane, said there had been a surge in beginner runners seeking advice and gear for their first long runs.

"We've had to shift what we stock a bit so we can accommodate the entry level runners," Hunter said.

"There's just so many more these days, it's so good to see.

"Once people start, it's very hard to not want to stay involved - your run club becomes like an extended family."

Everyone's a winner

Sport and exercise psychologist Vanessa Wergin believes there's two factors that make running-fever easy to catch.

"With running especially because it's very beginner friendly and you get a feeling of getting better very quickly," Wergin said.

She believes endurance events draw in people wanting to set big personal goals because they're challenging but not overly competitive.

"In marathon running, the ultimate goal is really just to participate… because really everyone who does those insane distances is already a winner," Wergin said.

- ABC