FIGHTING SPIRIT IN BEACH RUN
LOVE means never holding each other back, especially when it comes to an extreme half marathon.
Glenn Anemaat made the ultimate sacrifice by telling his wife Jo to “leave me behind” five kilometres from the Kokoda Beach Classic finish line yesterday.
The Southport locals, competing for the second year, were running together until Mr Anemaat started “lagging behind” due to illness.
While it is not usual running etiquette to leave someone behind, Mr Anemaat wanted his wife to have a chance to beat her personal best from last year.
“I kept looking back and Glenn said ‘go for it’,” Mrs Anemaat, 38, said. “It was lovely ... I ended up coming second.”
The Gold Coast charity event is an initiative of the Rotary Club of Broadwater Southport.
Its focus is on those who sacrificed so much on the Kokoda Track during World War II, while it raises money for Soldier On, Legacy, and Gold Coast nippers.
“We will definitely compete again next year,” Mr Anemaat said.