Runaway to NOOSA

Good sport and lifestyle editor Anna Lee works a marathon into her Aussie adventure

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If my body were a temple, it would be a shrine to red wine and carbohydrates. Still, this temple - as decrepit as it can feel after indulging in a weekend of shrine business - makes a point of exercising every day, usually in the form of a walk or a run. It's my way of keeping my mental health in check.

Over the years, I've found having an event to train for or a goal in mind is the most effective way to stay motivated, so I signed up to run 10km at Runaway Noosa Marathon in Queensland, Australia, and tagged on an extra few days to explore the sunshine state.

The run in Noosa is one part of a series of four in the Runaway Marathon Series across Australia and New Zealand, where everyone from elite athletes and groups of friends to solo participants pack their bags for a weekend away of good food, fabulous shopping and a run against a breathtaking backdrop.

Just a 1.5-hour drive from Brisbane Airport (or 30 minutes from Sunshine Coast Airport), I discovered the magical Noosa Heads, where laid-back holiday meets beach-side luxury, as surfboards slung casually across the back of scooters cruise past designer boutiques and trendy restaurants.

"You've got to go to this eatery... and this one... oh, and this one", my helpful cab driver Steve excitedly pointed as we drove down bustling Hastings Street. Perhaps the stretchy spandex I packed would be useful in more ways than one.