Lucas ready to make his mark in Melbourne marathon

Five years of training are about to be put to the test as Myrtleford's Lucas Masin prepares to compete in his first full-distance marathon in October. The 18-year-old will participate in the 42-kilometre Nike Melbourne Marathon on Sunday 11 October, kicking off with approximately 20,000 fellow runners at Batman Avenue, before crossing the finish line at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with an estimated 66,000 participants over the weekend festival. "This is my first marathon...I've done four half-marathons, starting back in 2022," Lucas said. "The clarity of running and being out on the track is the best part, you just run. "I look around at the beautiful place we live in and I've found there's heaps of great places you can run." The 18-year-old first took up marathon training during COVID lockdowns, as local footy training sessions were put on hold. "Once footy stopped, I asked myself, 'What else can I do?'," he said. "One day I thought I would chuck my shoes on and go for a run, then I found I was pretty good at it and I loved it, so I thought 'I'll stick to this'." Lucas' journey so far has been supported by his family and friends, as well as his trainer Mel Wilson, who first introduced Lucas to running when he was 13. "Mel said, 'We're going to run the farthest you've ever run before' and he took me out for a half-marathon, I didn't even realise," Lucas said. Once he heard Mel's story, Lucas said he was inspired by all his achievements. "When Mel was 42, he nearly passed away from a heart attack," he said. "I've heard all of his life stories, but this one stuck with me...he switched his life around and became a really good runner. "He subsequently did the Canberra 100 kilometre Marathon." Mel, who first started coaching when he lived in Queensland, said running is one of the hardest sports in the world. "We've worked up to Lucas running two or three half-marathons, now he's going to do the ultimate, a full marathon," Mel said. "It's not the fact Lucas is going to run the marathon which takes courage, it's because he's turned up to training when he has to and that's where the courage comes from. "The main thing to realise is this isn't all fun. "It's a lot of hard work and at the end of the day, when that medal is put around their neck after running 42 kilometres, they look back on what a big effort they've put in. "Watching them overcome all the tears, pain and get through the hard yards to cross that line with a smile on their face and say; 'I've done it', that's been the best part of my training experience." Mel said the most challenging part of training a friend is acclimating to the new relationship dynamic. "They have to get used to you cracking the whip," he said. "I'd like to see kids here excel in everything they do. "This is just a great town, with the greatest bunch of kids I've ever come across in my life. "I'm totally in awe of them...all the footballers, the cricketers, the girls' basketball team and so on. "The young people have all the support they can possibly get from the community, their families and the sponsors in Myrtleford. "I've never belonged to a community so involved in sport: I love it and I'm proud to be a member." Lucas has been a strong supporter of 'Fight MND' over the years and aims to help the life-saving cause by running in the October marathon. "This year, I wanted something to show for running a marathon, besides just my efforts," he said. "I wanted to get behind a charity I'm quite familiar with and give them the support I could. "[Initially] I wanted to collect all the beanies, before I delved into Neale Daniher's story and realised what a massive effort it was for him to live as long as he did and achieve what he did. "If I could just mirror that [strength] with my efforts in the marathon and raise some money for Flight MND, it would be that little bit of gratitude I could personally give back."

Lucas ready to make his mark in Melbourne marathon

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