From left to right: Zoe Hunter, Alice Shaw, personal trainer Jen Etcell and Alison Sim

Jen McMahon (right) pictured with a friend after the race

Stephen McDonald ran 14kms in just over an hour

On the 19th-20th May 2012, New Level Newtown participated in their first fun run event. Seven members of the New Level Newtown family ventured down the coast to Apollo Bay to take part in this year’s Great Ocean Road Marathon fun run.

Three of the girls, Zoe Hunter, Alison Sim and Alice Shaw participated in the newly created 6km fun run on Saturday, while Stephen McDonald and Jen McMahon took part in Saturday’s 14km event.

On Sunday, meanwhile, our Head Personal Trainer Jen Etcell ran in support of a former client and her best friend Heidi Umstad in the 23km half-marathon. Another of Jen’s ex-clients, Scott Umstad, who happens to be Heidi’s husband, also took part in the 6km event. 

Alison, who is not only a long time personal training client, but a well respected osteopath who operates out of the Newtown studio’s consulting room, ran the 6km event in a remarkable time of just on 37 minutes.

Alice, another long time client at Newtown, was not too far behind completing the course in 39 minutes.

Zoe had never run on a treadmill for more than a few hundred metres before taking up personal training at New Level Newtown towards the end of last year. Taking that into account, her time of 49 minutes in the 6km event can only be regarded as nothing short of spectacular and truly inspirational. An amazing feat indeed!

In the 14km event, Stephen McDonald showed just why he is considered one of the fittest clients at New Level, running the entire course in a staggering time of 1 hour, 3 minutes and 50 seconds.

Jen McMahon, meanwhile, is a seasoned Fun Run campaigner. Prior to the Great Ocean Road weekend, however, she had never participated in a 14km event. 

Having only run a maximum 12 kms previously, just the day before she had expressed some doubt to Studio Owner Tonci Prusac that she would be able to compete the 14km course. She was reassured by Tonci, who said he had great faith she would do so.

Well, fast forward 24 hours and not only did Jen complete the picturesque coastal course, but she did it in style, running it in 77 minutes!

Head Personal Trainer Jen Etcell was in a jubilant mood after the race.

“We were blessed with absolutely perfect conditions for running and the performance of our clients was absolutely amazing. This is why I love my job and it is clients like these guys that inspire me to keep my running up!” said Jen. 

“They have spent several weeks in the studio preparing for the run and the results that came through were very well deserved. 

“Not only did they achieve PB’s over original distances previously run in their training, but they then added extra distance. I even heard that they ‘secretly enjoyed’ the much anticipated run.” 

Congratulations guys!!!