That finish line feeling: Medibank Melbourne Marathon Festival

It was the perfect Melbourne morning for a run on Sunday 18 October – warm, fresh and bursting with spring energy.

The crowd of runners, joggers and walkers was 30,000 strong, from pro marathoners gearing up for a personal best, to beginners taking on their first fun run, to families banding together for an active day out.

One thing they all had in common was a determination to give it their best. And over each distance – marathon, half marathon, 10 km, 5.7 km and 3 km – they certainly did. As thousands of proud runners crossed the finish line, the cheering was loud, the atmosphere was electric, and sweat and smiles could be seen everywhere.

"The cheering was loud, the atmosphere was electric, and sweat and smiles could be seen everywhere."

A special congratulations is in order for the two marathon winners – Commonwealth Games medallist Jess Trengrove, who achieved a personal best and became the seventh Australian woman to run a marathon in under 2 hours and 30 minutes, and Sydney runner Brad Milsoevic.

Medibank GM of Brand and Marketing, Fiona Le Brocq said, “On behalf of Medibank I’d like to thank and congratulate all participants for their achievements and tireless hours of training that got them over the finish line on Sunday.

“At Medibank we are all about encouraging our 3.9 million members and all Australians to take small steps towards healthier, happier and better lives. It was fantastic to see this once again on display today.

“We believe the most important role we can play in the community is through our investment in health and activity programs – like the Medibank Melbourne Marathon – we can help generate long-lasting and positive, health and wellbeing outcomes for all Australians.”

Check out more fantastic images from the day on our Facebook page.