Introduced to long distance running by a workmate before moving to Mudgee from Brisbane, Cheryl Finney has set her sights on the Pieter van Gent Half Marathon this Sunday.

“I worked with a marathon runner in Brisbane and she roped me into a 10 kilometre run.” Finney said.

“I enjoyed that run and then moved to Mudgee to continue my profession as a physiotherapist.

“The decision to tackle the half marathon was because earlier this year there was only a five kilometre planned for this weekend.

“As I am getting married in October, I wanted to keep myself fit and I am notorious for normally doing nothing in winter and I knew preparing for a five kilometre run was not going to get me up early to train.

“So I decided to tackle my first half marathon and have now been in training for several months.

“I have done all my training runs on my own, mostly of a morning, and enjoy the exercise in the fresh country air.

“I am now tapering down for race day after getting up to the half marathon distance four weeks ago and running it in just under two hours 50 minutes.

“On Sunday I think I can finish somewhere between two hours 25 minutes and two hours 50 minutes.”

Finney said she had never been a runner in the past except for going in a few school cross countries.

“I ran the first and then walked the others as at that time that was the cool thing to do,” she said.

She also played volleyball and tennis and is currently playing in the night tennis competition in Mudgee.

“I just hope they have someone on standby for me this Monday night in case I am too tired or sore after Sunday,” she added.

Finney and her fiancée moved to Mudgee about a year ago when she was offered work at a Mudgee physiotherapy clinic.

“My fiancée and I were looking for a tree change because Brisbane was getting too big for our liking,” Finney said.

“We are not city people and had relatives in Mudgee and that is why we looked here and we are loving the lifestyle.”

The Pieter van Gent Half Marathon and the Bevco Mudgee Marathon both start at 7am sharp on Sunday.

The Mudgee marathon weekend kicks off on Saturday with the Mudgee Guardian five kilometre run and a 10 kilometre run. The starting gun for both events is set to go off at 3pm.