Now, as she carefully plots out her next challenge, Ms Mayne hoped to encourage others just to have a go and get moving that little bit more. Ms Mayne said the key, for her, to sticking to a New Year’s resolution was to write it down and commit.

Running is a hobby Ms Mayne picked up four years ago, aged 44, to lose a bit of weight and improve her fitness on the netball court. She set Run Ballarat’s six-kilometre event as her goal and, relishing the vibe, kept going.

“I needed to have a big challenge this year to keep motivated, so I planned out where I wanted to go and how,” Ms Mayne said.

“When you’re training, you have different phases...recovery after a race is really important, so it was about being smart and looking after yourself. Once I finished the last race that finished the whole thing, I just had that real runner’s high.”

Ms Mayne’s monthly half-marathon journey started with chocolate and the Cadbury Marathon festival in Hobart last January. She also stepped up to represent Australia in Auckland at the World Master’s Games and was a two-hour pacer for the Melbourne half-marathon in October.

Each course was different to the next: flat road, hilly terrain (steep climbs or undulations), trails, laps to out-and-backs, and temperatures ranging from 8C to 30C-plus.

Gold Rush Trail Run, from Hepburn Spring to Sailors Falls, was her 12^th run finale and one of her favourites because it was so different.

But she said the best part about running, any distance, was the people.

“Everyone is on their own running journey but all supporting and encouraging each other,” Ms Mayne said. “The Melbourne half I did as a pacer wasn’t a race for me, it was consistency. You role is helping a lot of people run sub-two-hour finishes, which is a big challenge for a lot of people.”

Ms Mayne said there was a real buzz giving back to the sport she loved as a volunteer, including at Ballarat Parkrun most Saturday mornings, and helping others to achieve their goals.

She joined Evolution Runners, under coach Louelle Blanchard, to help achieve her goals the past year. Coach Blanchard also pushed her to contest shorter races stronger.

Personally, Ms Mayne wants to extend her distance in 2018. Paris and Gold Coast marathons are on her agenda as is attempting her first ultra 50km trail run in the Surf Coast Century.

Kylie uses her runs to promote River’s Gift to fund research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She raised about $1000 this year. For mroe details: givenow.com.au/kylieSOS.

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