Christchurch marathon runner Naomi Fuller will be one of two representatives from NZ to compete in the upcoming Paris 2024 Mass Participation Marathon. The run takes place between the men's and women's marathon on the official Olympic Marathon course.
A truly remarkable story, Naomi spoke with Lesley Murdoch about how it all came to be.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
For one christ Jutch Woman who has already run eleven
full marathons. The marathon at the Paris Olympics has got
very special meaning and it's a very warm welcome to
our program. Naomi Fuller, good morning, Naomi. Hi, well, tell
us what is happening. You are going to run a
twelve marathon, but it's on a very special course. And
(00:23):
tell us how you got to go to Paris.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
A few years ago. I think it was about like
twenty and nineteen. We were a group of us girls
were training to go to the New York Marathon, I
think for the fiftieth anniversary of it. And then and
we with running. You belong to all these little group
(00:49):
chats and things around the world, and some guy product
for who would like to run. There's a marathon poor
Tours which is called Marathon for all. The committee had
set up this special group. Yeah, it was just by
connecting your case that you ran every day or they
were going to have a draw. So at the end
(01:10):
of I think you had until the thirty first of
December last year to do one hundred thousand points as well,
you get a points in this system. And I'd already
got my invitation but all the rest of these people
were drawn out of a bucket. I think there's four
hundred and fifty thousand people had finally tried to get
(01:34):
into it, so the same amount of men and women
and people with disabilities. And I have a hearing disability,
so I don't know whether that may have been why
I got in. I've never been I've never been told that,
And so I've found out that the age ranges from
twenty to ninety four years. There's one hundred and twenty
(01:56):
seven countries competing. I signed for that and then forgot
about it quite fast forward, kept training, I mean COVID happened,
and kept running. That didn't get the head to cancel
New York and did that whenever. That was twenty twenty two. Again,
all of a sudden last August, so I got an
(02:18):
email saying solicitations and all I thought it was spam
and where Google googled it, like Google translated it with
Marty's phone Jay really because apparently like there was twenty
and twenty four people going to be invited, with a
total of forty thousand and forty eight people, and I
(02:41):
got this invitation of one of two thousand and twenty
four people and it's earned by the points obviously, so
I was just without having to ender challenges. So that's
that's it. That's how it all came apat.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
This is just brilliant and so tell our listeners now,
so when are you going to run on the Olympic
Marathon course.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
We are going to run. It starts at nine thirty
on the Earth on the Saturday. The men's marathon is
on eight am on the Saturday, the tenth, and we
run at night most probably to help with heat because
(03:27):
they're expecting the temperatures to be hot. But we're running
on the met on the official Olympic course, and the
woman's race is the next morning at eight am. I
think we have to be off the course by six
am in the morning, but I'm sure everybody will be well,
(03:47):
I'd have to be, so yeah, getting excited now. I
had to keep it quiet, like we sort of had
to sign a confidentiality thing to keep it quite earlier on.
I don't know why that was. I think that at
the very start they didn't really know who was going
to sponsor it. And a company called Orange is sponsoring
(04:09):
it and it's the first time it's ever happened being
on this course that they've ever done had the amateur
athlete at the Olympics. And we start at the Hotel
de Ville, which is the town hall of Paris, which
is the headquarters of the French Revolution, and then finishing
(04:30):
at the Esplanade Invalids, so then run out of Versaill.
And the route of the Olympic Marathon is a tribute
to the two women because it's a reference to the
key episode of the French Revolution and the woman marched
(04:54):
on the sill in seventeen eighty nine over the high
cost of bread. So that is why they've put the
woman's marathon as the last event of the Olympics on
the last day, which is the eight am on the
eleventh before the closing ceremony.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Which is the most important event, usually the last event.
So I totally get that. And here you are, Naomi Fuller.
You are going to be on the Olympic course. The men,
as you mentioned, will be on the Saturday. You then
once they're finished, you come on and your four hundred
and fifty co competitors or just runners, because I mean,
I guess you're competing against yourself and you've got to
(05:33):
be off by six am, and then the women's marathon
finish finishes Paris Olympics twenty twenty four. Oh my goodness,
what a story.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yes, yeah, I'm crazy. Really. I mean, we didn't even
know that we're all going to get a medal. On
the last finisher. I still get a medal, so that's
pretty special in the Olympics. Yes, awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Oh man, this is really cool. What's your best marathon time, Naomi?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Four hours twelve that's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yes, So what are you hoping to run it in?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I don't know, Hairard. It's totally different running in the
middle of the night, haven't I Oh, totally.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You don't know the weather conditions or anything yet either,
so yeah, hard to say. But at least you've got
your support crew with you.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I have Marty. He'll be taking the photographs, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Oh this is just such a good story. Oh fantastic.
Midway through July, so you haven't got long to wait.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
No, I've got an email this morning saying it's less
than four weeks or something today with my number running
number and where I have to start on the fit
on the line outside the city hall. So I hope
it's not true.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
That.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I'm sure along the along the river there it'll be
pretty light.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Oh yes, you'll be well lit up. I'm sure they'll
they'll have they'll they'll look after you absolutely well, Naomi
follow This is just such a grand story about I
guess an everyday marathon who loves what they've done in
terms of keeping themselves fit and pushing themselves and getting
them over the finish line of any marathon. And here
(07:15):
you are, You're going to front up on the Olympic
course twenty twenty four Paris Olympics. All we can say
here at News talks'd B is go really well. I
know you'll enjoy the moment, and yes, keep injury free
between now and then.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Please, oh try so hopefully Fingers crossed.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Safe travels.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Thank you for more from News Talk SIDB. Listen live
on air or online, and
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio.
For one christ Jutch Woman who has already run eleven
full marathons. The marathon at the Paris Olympics has got
very special meaning and it's a very warm welcome to
our program. Naomi Fuller, good morning, Naomi. Hi, well, tell
us what is happening. You are going to run a
twelve marathon, but it's on a very special course. And
(00:23):
tell us how you got to go to Paris.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
A few years ago. I think it was about like
twenty and nineteen. We were a group of us girls
were training to go to the New York Marathon, I
think for the fiftieth anniversary of it. And then and
we with running. You belong to all these little group
(00:49):
chats and things around the world, and some guy product
for who would like to run. There's a marathon poor
Tours which is called Marathon for all. The committee had
set up this special group. Yeah, it was just by
connecting your case that you ran every day or they
were going to have a draw. So at the end
(01:10):
of I think you had until the thirty first of
December last year to do one hundred thousand points as well,
you get a points in this system. And I'd already
got my invitation but all the rest of these people
were drawn out of a bucket. I think there's four
hundred and fifty thousand people had finally tried to get
(01:34):
into it, so the same amount of men and women
and people with disabilities. And I have a hearing disability,
so I don't know whether that may have been why
I got in. I've never been I've never been told that,
And so I've found out that the age ranges from
twenty to ninety four years. There's one hundred and twenty
(01:56):
seven countries competing. I signed for that and then forgot
about it quite fast forward, kept training, I mean COVID happened,
and kept running. That didn't get the head to cancel
New York and did that whenever. That was twenty twenty two. Again,
all of a sudden last August, so I got an
(02:18):
email saying solicitations and all I thought it was spam
and where Google googled it, like Google translated it with
Marty's phone Jay really because apparently like there was twenty
and twenty four people going to be invited, with a
total of forty thousand and forty eight people, and I
(02:41):
got this invitation of one of two thousand and twenty
four people and it's earned by the points obviously, so
I was just without having to ender challenges. So that's
that's it. That's how it all came apat.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
This is just brilliant and so tell our listeners now,
so when are you going to run on the Olympic
Marathon course.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
We are going to run. It starts at nine thirty
on the Earth on the Saturday. The men's marathon is
on eight am on the Saturday, the tenth, and we
run at night most probably to help with heat because
(03:27):
they're expecting the temperatures to be hot. But we're running
on the met on the official Olympic course, and the
woman's race is the next morning at eight am. I
think we have to be off the course by six
am in the morning, but I'm sure everybody will be well,
(03:47):
I'd have to be, so yeah, getting excited now. I
had to keep it quiet, like we sort of had
to sign a confidentiality thing to keep it quite earlier on.
I don't know why that was. I think that at
the very start they didn't really know who was going
to sponsor it. And a company called Orange is sponsoring
(04:09):
it and it's the first time it's ever happened being
on this course that they've ever done had the amateur
athlete at the Olympics. And we start at the Hotel
de Ville, which is the town hall of Paris, which
is the headquarters of the French Revolution, and then finishing
(04:30):
at the Esplanade Invalids, so then run out of Versaill.
And the route of the Olympic Marathon is a tribute
to the two women because it's a reference to the
key episode of the French Revolution and the woman marched
(04:54):
on the sill in seventeen eighty nine over the high
cost of bread. So that is why they've put the
woman's marathon as the last event of the Olympics on
the last day, which is the eight am on the
eleventh before the closing ceremony.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Which is the most important event, usually the last event.
So I totally get that. And here you are, Naomi Fuller.
You are going to be on the Olympic course. The men,
as you mentioned, will be on the Saturday. You then
once they're finished, you come on and your four hundred
and fifty co competitors or just runners, because I mean,
I guess you're competing against yourself and you've got to
(05:33):
be off by six am, and then the women's marathon
finish finishes Paris Olympics twenty twenty four. Oh my goodness,
what a story.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yes, yeah, I'm crazy. Really. I mean, we didn't even
know that we're all going to get a medal. On
the last finisher. I still get a medal, so that's
pretty special in the Olympics. Yes, awesome.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Oh man, this is really cool. What's your best marathon time, Naomi?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Four hours twelve that's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Yes, So what are you hoping to run it in?
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I don't know, Hairard. It's totally different running in the
middle of the night, haven't I Oh, totally.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
You don't know the weather conditions or anything yet either,
so yeah, hard to say. But at least you've got
your support crew with you.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I have Marty. He'll be taking the photographs, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
Oh this is just such a good story. Oh fantastic.
Midway through July, so you haven't got long to wait.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
No, I've got an email this morning saying it's less
than four weeks or something today with my number running
number and where I have to start on the fit
on the line outside the city hall. So I hope
it's not true.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
That.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
I'm sure along the along the river there it'll be
pretty light.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Oh yes, you'll be well lit up. I'm sure they'll
they'll have they'll they'll look after you absolutely well, Naomi
follow This is just such a grand story about I
guess an everyday marathon who loves what they've done in
terms of keeping themselves fit and pushing themselves and getting
them over the finish line of any marathon. And here
(07:15):
you are, You're going to front up on the Olympic
course twenty twenty four Paris Olympics. All we can say
here at News talks'd B is go really well. I
know you'll enjoy the moment, and yes, keep injury free
between now and then.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
Please, oh try so hopefully Fingers crossed.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Safe travels.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Thank you for more from News Talk SIDB. Listen live
on air or online, and
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Keep our shows with you wherever you go with our
podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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