Early last month the festival was postponed but, with his hard work underway and work travel coming up, Mr Bergman will channel his running energies to a place he knows best: Lake Wendouree.

Mr Bergman will run seven laps of the six-kilometre Steve Moneghetti track on Saturday, with a little extra tacked on the start to ensure the 42.2km marathon distance. He will do so to raise money for My Room Children's Cancer Charity, a not-for-profit to support families affected by cancer and to promote cancer research.

Any money he can raise for the charity, Mr Bergman said would help fuel him along on his run.

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Mr Bergman's niece was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma at 14 years old with the rare cancer invading her legs and her lungs. She underwent chemotherapy and radiation and in February will mark five years cancer-free.

With his niece in Sydney, Mr Bergman will have mates and other family on course to cheer him along.

"I put the message out to a few mates if they could spare a bit of cash. A few are donating but also want to help by running a lap with me. My uncle is going to do a lap on the bike and Mum will be out there with the Powerade," Mr Bergman said.

"This is my first marathon. I've run a couple of half-marathons and I'm confident I have done enough kilometres. While I have a time in mind, my first goal is to try and finish.

"...Until you've run a marathon I guess you will never know how confident you should be until you finish."

Mr Bergman said while he could not control pandemic conditions and race postponements, this was a chance for him to commit to a goal and do something to help others.

When Melbourne Marathon Festival was postponed, he said his first thought for a new location was Lake Wendouree.

"Around the lake has been where I've done a few sessions - longer runs, or pace runs or fartlek," Mr Bergman said. "I figured running around the lake seven times was a place I knew and was comfortable running."

Mr Bergman planned to run his laps in the same direction, anti-clockwise, because that had been the direction he had always tended to run the lake. Like many Ballarat runners, running the opposite direction about the lake always mentally felt longer.

You can support Mr Bergman with a g'day if you spot him running at the lake. To donate, visit his Instagram @plbergman89 or mycause.com.au.

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