Paul Ovenden first joined the Run at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair for the Sydney to Canberra stretch before coming back for the Albury to Portland leg.
Paul’s first impressions of the Run were the camaraderie and the long days.
He has a lot of admiration for the runners, having been in Victoria during the Black Saturday fires which some of the runners had the job of attending.
“The runners are up at 6am to run; they then travel hundreds of kilometers, run again, and in the evenings they attend public events and media calls. I don’t know how they get up in the morning!” he said.
Born in Southwell, just outside Nottingham, England, Paul has been a photographer since 1998 in Sydney and London. He emigrated to Sydney in 1991, and went back to London for a couple of years before settling in Melbourne last year.
“During my time on the Run, I want to capture as much of the story of the Run as I can with my camera, both from the personal point of view of the runners and for its promotion on the Run website. I see my job as recording their adventures, as they are not in a position to do it for themselves,” he said.
Paul views the Run as an education process, creating awareness of climate change within communities and so far, he has found the experience of witnessing community engagement the most rewarding aspect.
“It fascinates me to hear the runners speak to communities about how they can make a difference and why they are running – for their children and their children’s children. I hope the Run continues to heighten my own awareness of the devastating effect of climate change on the Australian landscape. I am glad I can be part of the team for such a worthy cause.”
He also marvels at the huge logistical task of keeping the month-long event on the road all the way to the finish line Melbourne, where he will rejoin for the final leg from Kinglake to St Kilda.
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Happy running!