Brisbane’s Glen MacKellin will line up for his second half marathon at the Twilight Running Festival later this month in preparation for his debut marathon at this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon, to be held 2 – 3 July, on the Gold Coast.

The 48-year-old took up running two years ago to prove to himself he could stick to a training discipline for longer than a week and in the process shed more than 17 kilograms.

“I’d never been a runner. Before I committed to the sport, I would go for a run a couple of times a week and then I would stop. I thought it was too hard,” Glen said.

“It took me 12 months of consistent training with the encouragement of a good friend to see physical results. Over time I was running faster, lowering my personal best times over different distances and my passion for running grew each day.

“When I first started, it took me around 32 minutes to run five kilometres. Now, I’m running 10 kilometres in under 45 minutes.”

Glen’s goal is to cross the Twilight Running Festival finish line and beat the personal best he recorded at last year’s ASICS Half Marathon on the Gold Coast, the event which ignited his dream to double the distance.

“After completing my first half marathon at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, I realised that I was capable of completing a marathon,” Glen said.

“I crossed the line in 1hr and 44 minutes and was amazed to break the 5min per kilometre pace as none of my training runs came close to that time. So, I’m aiming to finish this month’s half marathon under 1hr and 42 minutes.

“I was blown away by how many people were running in the ASICS Half Marathon. I can distinctly remember the atmosphere and the sound of thousands of runners’ feet pounding the ground. It inspired me to go faster.

“I was supported by my beautiful wife and two mates who were cheering me on from five different check points. They made me feel like I was on top of the world.

Glen admits he is extremely nervous about how he will fare at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon but knows that if he follows his training program closely, he will be fine on race day.

“I train six days a week with a variety of sessions including speed drills, hill sprints, cross training and long runs which I’m increasing gradually each week,” Glen said.

“There were times during my half marathon training when I thought I couldn’t do it and I know these feelings will probably emerge again as I get closer to race weekend.

“But I know that if I’m disciplined, stay positive and increase my kilometres slowly over the next few months, I’ll be fine.”

Glen hopes his transformation from a non-runner to a future marathoner will inspire others to lace up their runners and join him at either the Twilight Running Festival or Gold Coast Airport Marathon.

“Many people say to me ‘I can’t do what you do’ or ‘I can’t run’ and I used to feel exactly the same way before I started running,” Glen said.

“Some people think they’re too slow or too fat to start running, but that’s not the case. You can do anything as long as you stick at it and be consistent.”

The 2016 Twilight Running Festival will be held on Sunday 20 March. To enter or for more information visit twilightrun.com.au.

The 2016 Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be held on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July. Early bird fees finish Thursday 28 April.