Antony Rickards

My earliest memory is ...at 10 years of age, riding 30km on my bike with my Dad and his mates doing their Sunday long runs for marathon training. I think I know where I got the bug from...

The hardest thing I've ever done is ... my first Half Ironman triathlon...I was a broken man after that but it didn't deter me from going on to do 7 full Ironmans including twice at Hawaii Ironman

Why marathons? I love the challenge of endurance sports, in particular running, and the physical and mental toughness required to not only do the event but to complete the hard work required to get to the start line.

What keeps me coming back? I love to challenge myself. I love the sport of running and all the challenges and emotions it brings. The competition, success, disappointment and elation. I also love the social aspect and people in the sport. We are very blessed in Melbourne to have such a great running community which is not only very competitive, but supportive across all levels. I strive to reach the goals I set for myself and when I get a personal best there is a great sense of achievement and satisfaction.

When I cross the line...my first emotion has to be relief that marathon has finishd. Straight after that I feel a range of emotions, but it often depends if I have achieve my goals for that race. The range includes elation, joy and disappointment.

I enjoy running because....when I'm on my own, its just me and my thoughts. It clears my mind. Its a time-efficient way of keeping fit and you can run anywhere, any time. I love running in new locations interstate and overseas. When I travel, the first think I do when I arrive in a new city is go for a run and explore. When I run with friends it's a great social time to catch up and sty in touch with other, particularly when we all have busy schedules. It's like our version of going to the pub for a beer.

My most treasured possession... is a pair of runners.

I wish I had... a few more fast twitch muscle fibres.

Friends say I am ...reliable and persistent.

The song I'd like played at my funeral is ...Forever Young.

I'm always being asked ..."How do you fit in the training?" (answer - I commute on foot) and "Are you crazy?" (no answer required)

If I wasn't me, I'd like to be ... a Jedi Knight or a superhero...definitely Batman.

I often wonder why... people smoke in this day and age.

The three people I'd most like to have over for dinner (and what I would cook for them) are ... Haile Gebrasellassie, Michael Phelps, Steven Redgrave, I would cook Lasagne (Mum's recipe)

Most admired sportsperson... Any athlete who has to overcome great adversity to achieve their goals.

The most inspiring marathon moments I have experienced....have been Rob de Castella winning the 1982 Commonwealth Games and Kerryn McCann winning the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Ant Rickards trivia

Age - 37

Has completed twelve marathons, one 55km ultramarathon and seven ironman triathlons.

PB's - marathon 2.23.45, half-marathon 69.30, 10k 31.55, 5k 15.07 and Tan 11.55

Running shoes brand/type - Saucony Grid A2 & Pro-Grid Triumph 5.

Current number of training sessions per week - 11, current weekly mileage -160k - 180k (heaviest week of training - 210km)

Workplace - Philip Chun - A building code compliance and consultancy company.

Travis Tremayne

My earliest memory is ...sleeping in the back of my dad's car with my sister waiting for my brother to be born. I would have been 3.

The hardest thing I've ever done is ... the 45km Six Foot Track marathon in the Blue Mountans on about 3 weeks of training of about 50km. I broke into tears when I crossed the line.

Why do I enjoy running? Fresh air and the fun of the competition

What keeps me coming back? The people

What emotions do I feel when I cross the line? Varies - when I have run well - elation, when poorly - relief!

My most treasured possession is ... my pink road bike

I wish I could ... run as fast as Usain Bolt, he is as tall as me.

Friends say I am ... full of life, well, actually some say I am full of sh1t.

The song I'd like played at my funeral is ...Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue, or maybe Lucky Man by the Verve.

I'm always being asked ...if I can join committees and "what's the air like up there?"

If I wasn't me, I'd like to be ... a time traveller.

I often wonder why ... people think they can't do things.

The three people I'd most like to have over for dinner (and what I would cook for them) are ... Richard Branson, Greg Norman and Warren Buffet. I'd cook my famous 3 minute spaghetti............ only joking, we would order in. I wouldn't want to miss any of the conversation.

Most inspiring sporting moments ... It changes every year, right now Usain Bolt with his 3 gold and 3 world records.
If he was able to run more races he would have won them all. I was also very inspired by Robyn's (my partner) 75.30 Half marathon at Gold Coast a few years ago....And hard to go past Collingwood's 1990 Grand Final win, to this day I cannot explain the joy and emotion that I had for a week.

Most admired sportsperson ... probably Greg Norman

Travis Tremayne Trivia

Age - 35

PB's - marathon 3:19, half-marathon 84, 10k 38.30, 5k 17.05

Running shoes brand/type - Brooks Trance for training, Asics DS Trainer for racing and Nike for anything in between

Current number of training sessions per week - 0-1, current weekly mileage - 25k

Workplace - Hume City Council

Mark Purvis

My earliest memory is ... Happy Hammond and Princess Panda on TV.

The hardest thing I've ever done is ... watching the Demons getting thumped in the 1988 and 2000 Grand Finals.

Why do I enjoy running? Getting high on beta endorphins.

What keeps me coming back? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

What emotions do I feel when I cross the line? That really depends on the race, but usually satisfaction and relief that I made the distance.

My most treasured possession is ... my CD collection.

I wish I could ... play the guitar like Eric Clapton and sing like Roy Orbison (I don't ask for much).

Friends say I am ... super-competitive.

The songs I'd like played at my funeral are ... Going Home by Mark Knopfler and Into the West by Annie Lennox.

I'm always being asked ..." what if you know your client is guilty?"

If I wasn't me, I'd like to be ... a rock guitar legend.

I often wonder why ... people hurt each other.

The three people I'd most like to have over for dinner (and what I would cook for them) are ... Neil Young, Steve Ovett and Billy Connolly. I would cook paella and we would drink a nicely aged Coonawarra Cab Sav.

My most inspiring sporting moment was being at Homebush the night that Cathy won the 400, Geb beat Tergat in the 10k and Tatiana nearly won the pole vault.

My most admired sportspeople are Tiger Woods and Robert Flower.

Mark Purvis trivia

Age 51

PB's - marathon 2:24.23, half-marathon 68.44, 10k 31.05, 5k 14.58 and Tan 11.33

Running shoes - Asics Gel Kayano

Current number of training sessions per week - 4-5 sessions, current weekly mileage 40-50k (when not injured!)