Aussies to cover 140,000 kilometres for heart disease research this month

Media release: 4 October, 2022

More than 3,000 Australians are walking or running a combined 140,000 kilometres this month to help Australian researchers find innovative new treatments for heart disease.

Victorians are leading the charge with 756 participants who will walk a combined 31,903kms this month. Other states and territories are rising to the cause, with participant numbers rapidly growing until registrations close on the 7th October.

Among the participants are Australians who are motivated to see an end to heart disease – people like Victoria’s Jacqueline De Pietro, who has a congenital form of heart disease and tragically lost her brother and a close friend to heart disease.

“I am a heart survivor and I’m thankful everyday that I was given another chance,” Mrs De Pietro said.

“There are those who are not so fortunate. My life irrevocably changed forever in November 2020 when I lost my beloved brother Daniel at 46, my only sibling, to a cardiac arrest. Then in June this year we lost our very dear friend Lino, also to a cardiac arrest. Both young and fit with so much life and love in them.

“My aim is raise awareness of how insidious heart disease is and raise money for research which in turn will save the lives of our loved ones.”

MyMarathon is an opportunity for Australians to help raise funds for lifesaving heart disease research, while challenging themselves to walk or run 42.2 km over hours, days or weeks during October.

Participants can do it on their own, or as part of a team with friends or colleagues - whatever the pace.

Registrations are open until 7 October. To sign-up, please visit mymarathon.com.au.