Mum’s the word for former Olympian

SHE may have made her name as a sprinter but Melinda Gainsford-Taylor was pounding the pavement yesterday as one of thousands of runners in the Gold Coast half marathon.

Gainsford-Taylor ran into Australia’s hearts at the Sydney Olympics, making the final of the 200m and placing sixth.

But she continues to challenge herself, making her half marathon debut on the Gold Coast several years ago.

And yesterday she roped others in, with four members of the “Mel GT mum squad” tackling the 21.1km Gold Coast course.

A successful junior coach, Gainsford-Taylor roped other mums into training for the marathon and a “girls trip” to the Coast.

“I actually did my first half marathon on the Gold Coast a few years ago and I was going to do it again and I sent out a text saying did anyone want to go away for a girls’ weekend and by the way, there’s a half marathon,” she said.

“One of the things we said was how great the atmosphere was on this course and it’s such a pretty course as well.

“There’s not too many hills and it’s good for beginners and people who just want to get out and give it a go and try and achieve a good time if that’s what their (goal is).

“There’s so many reasons people run a half marathon – whether they’re achievers and they want to run a time, or they just want to be a part of it.

“And I think it’s a great excuse to go away for a weekend.”

Distance running in Australia is on a high at the moment with outstanding performances from our women on the track and the road and as a long time supporter of the sport and coach, Gainsford-Taylor said it was encouraging to see.

Jess Trengove set the best time by an Australian marathoner in Australia to finish second in the marathon yesterday in a performance applauded by Gainsford-Taylor.

“(The performances of) Jess and even Celia (Sullohern), even though she was struggling at the end there (yesterday) … just shows the depth of Australian athletics at the moment, especially in the distance events,” she said.