Student Number: 39856956
Indigenous Marathon Foundation
Get to Know IMF
The Indigenous Marathon Foundation is a unique foundation which uses running to promote running and healthy lifestyles for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country and creating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and role models.
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The project was established in 2009 with the vision of empowering First Nations individuals and providing them with tools and resources to become leaders and role models within their communities. Since its inception, the project has seen an incredible 156 graduates from over 60 communities across the country. These graduates have not only completed marathons but have also become inspiring ambassadors for health, fitness, and positive change in their own communities.
The foundation emphasizes the importance of physical health, aiming to address the health disparities faced by Indigenous communities, particularly in terms of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
SUPPORTING FIRST NATIONS SPORT
How does the project work?
Ever year since 2010, Robert De Castella, the founder of the Indigenous Marathon Project, has selected a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with little to no running experience to train to run a marathon in a 6 month period. During their training, they commit to improving their personal health and wellbeing and an intensive training program as well as completing education in Indigenous health promotion, Indigenous Mental Health First Aid, and running, coaching and First Aid qualifications. After completing both the marathon and the educational components, participants become part of the group known as IMP Graduates and are able to join the IMF's FrontRunners Cohort. IMP Graduates will continue to create change and be a leader within their communities by...
RUNNING AND WALKING (RAW)
IMF RAW is a community program led by IMP Graduates and their community. Graduates of the Indigenous Marathon Project return to their communities and share the knowledge which they have gained from their experiences. It helps in addressing school attendance, chronic disease, and mental health and wellbeing by encouraging and normalising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders participation in running and walking.
It allows for communities to have a safe space to make changes in their life. Through these activities, individuals gain a sense of belonging, self-esteem, personal achievement and confidence which can help them in other aspects of their life such as school and work environments.
Impact of IMF
From experiencing the power and positive outcomes of running, graduates of the IMP have given back to their Aboriginal communities, sharing the benefits of running, walking and staying physically active. The leadership of the first graduates of Indigenous Marathon Project alone, created change within their communities and showed Robert de Castella what could continue to happen and change if he continued and boosted his project.
For many of the graduates, it has also changed factors of their personal lives such as improving physical health and mental health. A lot of the graduates begin their journey with little experience and with poor mental and physical health and the project has transformed their lives by improving their health.
Since 2010, the impact of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation has grown immensely and spread across all areas of Australia. Graduates have had a newfound sense of community, health and wellbeing and knowing the importance of these and the benefits for them, have made change within their communities by creating RAW groups, initiating events and even being a local role model for the Indigenous kids that dream to complete a marathon one day.
After the first IMP in 2010, Charlie Maher started by mentoring young Aboriginal boys at Alice Springs Academy and has recently gone on to train complete eight marathons nationwide to raise awareness for Indigenous youth, Caleb Hart became a role model at a high level after being selected to play AFL for the Northern Territory Thunder Team, Juan Darwin organised a fun run in Maningrida and Joseph Davies organised a fun run in Kununurra where 300 people participated.
Education
If you are interested in learning more about the experiences of participants of the Indigenous Marathon Project, watch;
"Running to America"
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This documentary follows a group of young Aboriginal Australian men from remote communities as they train to compete in the New York City Marathon. Many of the participants come from backgrounds of disadvantagebut through running, they find purpose, strength, and a renewed sense of pride in themselves and their culture. The documentary highlights the healing power of sport, specifically the power that the Indigenous Marathon Project holds, the challenges faced by First Nations peoples, and the potential that sport has sport to create change.
Government Support
It is important to note that the government has provided support to the foundation, with the Morrison Government announcing a $3.9 million boost in 2021 to the Indigenous Marathon Foundation over a span of 3 years, which helps in ensuring that the foundation can continue reaching communities all over Australia and taking on young and talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to assist them achieve the collective goal to complete a marathon.