Over the weekend, Team Figurehead joined thousands of runners in the Ballarat Marathon — lacing up for the second annual event in the heart of regional Victoria.

We ran.
Some of us faster than others.
All of us questioning our life choices by kilometre four.

From the Half Marathon to the 10km, our crew turned up in full force — some of them even resembling athletes.
- Caleb McGrath, Sam Mackie, Dylan Mercer, and Harley Pockett took on the Half Marathon.
- Joe Clarke, James Hetherington, Will Tol, Melyssa Dunlop, and Ramya Alamuri tackled the 10km.

With over 9,000 participants — 80% visiting from out of town — the event generated more than $3.25 million for the local economy. A huge result for Ballarat City Council and a growing celebration of the city’s energy, identity, and community pride.

Of course, no race weekend is complete without a few highlights:

• Joseph Clarke ran like he had a handover to make.

• Emily Tighe gave it 300 metres and made a tactical call — saving 9.7km for next year.

• Dylan Mercer placed first among our group in the halfie. He’s been sore ever since. He’s also made sure we all know it.

• James Hetherington just welcomed a newborn — though right now it’s his calf splints keeping him up at night.

• Will Tol wore shoes so bright we’re vetting him for a sparky role.

We couldn’t be prouder of this crew — they showed up, pushed through, and were back on site and in the office Monday morning.

It’s the same mindset that drives our work: show up, back each other, and go the distance.