SYDNEY: Eight young Aboriginal athletes who face unusual dangers during regular training runs in Australia are traveling to the New York City Marathon with a former world champion guiding them.
The group has been training for seven months under the direction of Rob de Castella, who won the marathon world championship at Helsinki, Finland in 1983 and picked up golds medals at the 1982 and 1986 Commonwealth Games.
De Castella said the squad had trained in extreme weather conditions in isolated communities in Northern Australia and faced “dangers such as wild dogs and crocodiles.”
Despite the uncertain status of the Sunday’s race due to Superstorm Sandy, De Castella’s squad gathered in Sydney on Wednesday and planned to leave Thursday morning for New York City.
8 Aboriginal runners depart for New York marathon
