A GROUP of former Portland mates are gearing up to run to save one of Australia’s largest temperate rainforests.

Bec Lake is just one of 150 runners taking on the major event next month, and after a life time focusing on saving rainforests around the world, she has set her sights on her own backyard and is raising funds to help preserve the Tarkine in Tasmania.

In an effort to protect the forest, Ms Lake and a group of her friends will take on the takayna26 race, running 26km through the forest, crossing creeks, tackling large inclines all while aiming to raise at least $15,000 for the cause.

“I spent a lot of my career working for the UN and mostly specialised in forest conservation,” she said.

“After travelling extensively overseas I came back to Australia and noticed we had one of the highest deforestation rates in the world - I've been spending all these years telling other countries how to protect their own and help update their policies to preserve their own natural landscapes, but we should be doing the same in Australia.

“I knew I needed to contribute to protecting the really important remaining old growth ecosystems in Australia and this was a great way to do that.”

Comprising just seven percent of Tasmania, the Tarkine contains the nation’s largest temperate rainforest, is filled with rare and endangered wildlife and has some of the richest Aboriginal heritage in the hemisphere.

The Tarkine is under threat from acid mine drainage, deforestation and contamination of waterways by proposed new mines.

Off-road vehicles and 4WDs driving along the remote Tarkine coast are also causing irreversible damage to the Aboriginal heritage landscape that has existed for more than 40,000 years.

The race will raise money to support the Bob Brown Foundation campaign to have the forest protected as a World Heritage listed National Park and returned to Aboriginal ownership.

“None of us have ran a marathon or anything similar before so it’s going to be interesting,” Ms Lake said.

“We’ve been training around Portland during the holiday break but nothing we’ve been doing will compare to the terrain we’re going to see in the Tarkine.

“Our aim is just to finish the race – we’ve got no timeframe or expectations – we just want to take part, raise awareness and raise much-needed funds for the cause.”

Visit takaynatrail2022.raisely.com/rebecca-lake to donate to Ms Lake’s team or to find out more about the Tarkine.