'It felt like a cinch': How Ngaliwurru woman Cecilia Johns conquered her first marathon

Under a full moon in late October, Cecilia Johns, a Ngaliwurru woman from Katherine in the Northern Territory, ran her very first marathon.

Starting and ending at the picturesque Simpsons Gap, Johns put one foot in front of the other for 42 kilometres, winding through Central Arrernte Country, in Alice Springs.

The 30-year-old was there as part of the 2021 Indigenous Marathon Project (IMP) squad, and enjoyed every minute.

«Though the moon was hidden, we were blessed with a spectacular lightning show across the landscape, illuminating the desert,» Johns said.

«I absolutely loved it.»

Johns grew up playing netball, and in her school days she aspired to sprint like Cathy Freeman. Long distance had never been a consideration.

«I used to tap out during 800 metres races at school,» she said.

But at the start of this year Johns challenged herself to the seemingly impossible: successfully run a marathon in six months. Only, she actually made it happen.

In 2010 the inaugural IMP squad tackled the New York Marathon with only six months' training. The squad was predominantly made up of runners from the Northern Territory, and their stories stayed with Johns. She applied to be a member of the IMP last year.

«I was inspired by them and I was always saying I wanted to do it,» she said.

«It's one of those things that's like, 'I'll do it next year.'

»Finally I saw it was for 18 to 30-year-olds and I was like 'Geez, I turn 30 this year, I need to do it.' And fortunately [I] got in."

IMP is the brainchild of Australia's greatest marathoner Robert de Castella. The unique annual program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to run the New York Marathon, requiring them to go from little or no running to finishing a full marathon in just six