The flat and scenic running routes weaving throughout Western Australia’s beautiful northern coastal town of Broome has provided local Leanne Hughes the ultimate training playground to prepare for the 37th annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon this July.

The former Brisbanite moved to the pearling capital of Australia in 2011 where her love for running flourished after promising herself to achieve a personal challenge of racing along the world famous Cable Beach before she turned 30.

“In 2013 there was a brand new running event, the Broome Marathon Festival, which included a 19.6 kilometre run on Cable Beach,” Leanne said.

“I had never run more than six kilometres but set myself the challenge to run it.

“I gave myself six months to train. At first I was running a minute then walking a minute but I slowly built up the kilometres.”

Six months later and Leanne was running on one of the flattest beaches in Australia and completed the gruelling race which ignited her passion for the sport.

“It was a hot day and even though the tide was out, there were still patches of soft sand as well as spots where water had come through, so sometimes you couldn’t avoid the puddles,” Leanne said.

“I remember running the last couple of kilometres and seeing people on the beach, parked up with their four wheel drives with a fishing rod and beer in hand which wasn’t the most motivating way to end a long run.

“Since that experience, I’ve sort of been hooked on running. Nothing gives me more energy than waking up for a morning run.”

Last year the 31-year-old completed her first half marathon in her home city of Brisbane and is now taking the plunge to double the distance at Australia’s favourite holiday marathon on the Gold Coast.

“It’s my first marathon, so my thinking is ‘If you’re going to run 42 kilometres, why not do it at the highest profile running event in Australia?’,” Leanne said.

“The Gold Coast track is also similar to Broome in that it is flat the whole way. It’s also close to my biggest supporter group, my family, who live in Brisbane.”

Leanne’s goal of completing the marathon under five hours are high having recruited Gold Coast Airport Marathon ambassador and four-time winner of the event, Pat Carroll, as her training advisor for the next 30 weeks.

“The program is fantastic and has a nice mix of slow long distance runs, pace runs, interval/fartlek and hills,” Leanne said.

“I report my times back to Pat and he updates the program with new goals to keep me on my toes.

“As it’s my first run [marathon], I would be happy to just finish. Running 42 kilometres is a massive achievement. To be honest though, I would be pretty disappointed if it took me longer than five hours.”

Not only will Leanne be running to fulfil a personal goal but she has decided to dedicate her run to a charity very close to her heart.

“My younger sister has diabetes and I am going to support Diabetes Queensland. It’s an organisation that is committed to minimising the impact of diabetes on society and contributing to the search for a cure,” Leanne said.

“My sister is living proof that diabetes does not need to prevent you from leading a full life.”

If you would like to support Leanne please visit her Everyday Hero page.

The 37th annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon, an IAAF Road Race Gold Label race, will be held on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

Entries are now open. Early bird fees finish Thursday 30 April (11:59pm AEST).

For more information on Pat Carroll Online and Onland visit patcarroll.com.au.

For more information visit goldcoastmarathon.com.au.