After attending the event launch recently, then firing the starting gun at the Lake Macquarie Running Festival on 27 August, I decided to get a relay team together for the 15-kilometre run along the Fernleigh Track.

First stop was the Pure Performance sports store at Warners Bay, where the expert attendants put me on a treadmill to assess my running style before offering me a choice of suitable shoes. Naturally, I picked the fast-looking bright pink pair, which I am sure will take minutes off my time.

I have already recruited into my team of five the Member for Charlestown – and my predecessor as Mayor of Lake Macquarie – Jodie Harrison, who will be more than up to task of running her three-kilometre leg, having completed the 10.5km course at the running festival. I have also been getting tips from council employee Angela Leadbeatter, a noted distance runner and past winner of the Fernleigh 15.

The five-person relay event is a new initiative and is a great chance for novice runners such as me to try a fun run. With separate divisions for walkers, wheelchair racers and different age groups, the Fernleigh 15 is an inclusive event that gives entrants of all abilities the chance to have a go. I look forward to joining other participants in this great  event. Keep an eye out for the pink shoes!