MARATHON … even the written word strikes fear and trepidation into the hearts of most athletes, but Diane Kavanagh saw it as a goal after watching other Hamilton Running Club members undertake the ultimate test of a runner.

At 72 years young, Kavanagh had set herself the goal after seeing people running 12 months ago at the Gold Coast Marathon, but she had major surgery only seven and a half months ago where she had a metre of her bowel removed.