Deek takes Indigenous Marathon Project to London

Harold Matthew will soon be the first Indigenous Marathon Project runner to start the Virgin London Marathon after distance running legend Rob de Castella selected him to represent his team later this month.

The 33-year-old from the remote Thursday Island in Far North Queensland will take on the famous course in the English capital on April 23, along with thousands of entrants and some of the best runners in the world.

As director of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation charity de Castella uses the marathon event as a vehicle to promote healthy lifestyles to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The married father of two was delighted to be the one chosen from the 65 graduates of the project and will get to enjoy the whole experience with his wife Deeanna who will travel with him.

“I am so proud to represent the whole of Australia, indigenous people, and my Torres Strait and Thursday Island communities,” Matthew said to IMP.

“It’s something I will carry for the rest of my life.”

The group is overseen by the former marathon world record holder de Castella and has given many indigenous runners the opportunity to compete in places such as Athens, Berlin, Boston, Tokyo, Paris, Maui and Frankfurt.

“Harold has always been ready, willing and able to step up and do whatever is needed to spread ripples of health, fitness and pride through his community,” de Castella said.

“London is one of the great marathons of the world, and it’s an amazing opportunity for us to send one of our Indigenous Marathon Project graduates to do it.”

Three years ago he and Elsie Belphina Seriat were the first Thursday Islanders to run NY, and in exactly one... https://t.co/VjYoQMbXK3

— The Indig Mthn Found (@IndigMaraProjct) March 22, 2017

Matthew, a Mauagal man, is a 2014 graduate of the Indigenous Marathon Project and is never bothered by the many loops he must do of his homeland to complete his weekly training schedule.

“Thursday Island is not a big place,” Matthew told nit.com.au.

“It’s like a 5km run around the island. It’s going around in circles. I’m doing five or six laps of the island.

“People say, ‘man, you’re crazy doing that’, but a marathon isn’t easy. It’s not like running 400m.

“I love the island, I was born and raised there. The view itself motivates me to push through.”

Not only is the race in London a great opportunity for Matthew, it is also something he is proud to be able to share with his Indigenous community and the wider Australian public.

“When Rob said I am going to be the first Indigenous runner, I was emotional,” he added.

“Not only for my community but for the whole of Australia and the Indigenous people.

“I didn’t know what to say. I’m looking forward to it and to sharing that story with my people and my kids.”