When we set off from Slovenia for Sydney, a journey of approximately 16,000 kilometers lay ahead of us. That is quite a distance for a single marathon medal, though it soon became clear that the medal was only part of the reason for our trip. Our group consisted of 36 travelers who—with the exception of a few individuals—had never experienced Australia firsthand. Thirty members of the group, ranging in age from 23 to 83, competed in the TCS Sydney Marathon, and every single one of them crossed the finish line.
I was the team leader and was supposed to run as well, but my knee had other plans 🙂 Still, if you can’t run, you can at least cheer loud enough to leave your throat sore the next day. When the last member of our group crossed the finish line at the Sydney Opera House, I was without a medal, yet far from empty-handed. My heart and soul were filled with joy—and right there, I promised myself I would return to this wonderful marathon. Meeting Dr. Stephanie Šuber was a truly special experience. I had just escorted one of our runners from the finish line to our meeting point under the Slovenian flag when I was alerted that an enthusiastic young woman had joined us; she was so excited she could barely get the words out—explaining that she was Slovenian heritage, couldn’t believe she’d met so many compatriots in the middle of Sydney, and insisted we take a group photo. She also offered to arrange a city tour for us or look after our runners after the race. After all, she was part of the marathon’s medical team—who better for the job! With her genuine joy and Australian-accented Slovenian, she brightened everyone’s day. Dr. Šuber, next time I’ll be sure to let you know in advance!
On the other side of the world, it is truly wonderful to feel that Slovenia lives on through language, memories, and human connections. That is why I was delighted to accept the invitation for a radio interview. Speaking with Kristine Suber for Radio VOSA was an unforgettable experience. Now I understand what draws enthusiastic travellers to the land “Down Under”—it simply casts a spell on you. The Sydney Marathon is also magnificent, though challenging; shortly after the start, runners cross the Harbour Bridge, and the undulating course then leads them through the city to a spectacular finish in front of the Opera House. Our group of thirty runners was among the 36,296 marathon participants from over 140 countries. We also visited Bondi Beach, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, and the Blue Mountains, and took a boat tour of one of the world’s most beautiful harbours. For me, Slovenia is paradise on earth—with its mountains, greenery, and friendly people—a place where I always feel safe and enjoy the best quality of life. Australia is similar to Slovenia in many ways, so it comes as no surprise that so many of our compatriots have chosen to stay there.
For about fifteen years, the ŠD Maratonc club has been organizing group trips to the world’s major marathons. I am a long-time runner, the author of the book *Zagret za tek* (Keen on Running), and the creator of the podcast of the same name, where I host runners, athletes, adventurers, and other interesting people. I have been doing this for six years; by now, I have produced over 320 episodes featuring just as many fascinating guests for whom running is also a part of life. Since 2021, when interest in running-related travel surged, I have been organizing these trips on a practically daily basis. It looks like I won’t be running out of work anytime soon. For me, marathons are one of the best excuses to travel, and Sydney once again proved that I truly have the best job imaginable.
Marko Roblek
ŠD Maratonc
Slovenski maratonski navdušenec in avtor Marko Roblek na sydneyjskem maratonu
Ko smo se iz Slovenije odpravili v Sydney, nas je čakalo približno 16.000 kilometrov poti. Kar daleč za eno maratonsko medaljo, čeprav je bilo hitro jasno, da smo zaradi nje prišli samo deloma. V naši odpravi je bilo 36 potnikov, ki razen nekaj posameznikov, Avstralije še niso doživeli od blizu. Trideset članov skupine, starih od 23 do 83 let, je nastopilo na TCS Sydney Marathonu in prav vsi so prišli v cilj.
Sam sem bil vodja skupine in bi moral tudi teči, vendar je imelo moje koleno drugačne načrte 🙂 Toda če že ne moreš teči, lahko vsaj navijaš tako glasno, da te naslednji dan boli grlo. Ko je skozi cilj pri Sydney Opera House prišel še zadnji član naše skupine, sem bil brez medalje, vendar nikakor ne praznih rok. Od navdušenja sem imel zapolnjeno srce in dušo – tam sem si obljubil, da se na ta čudoviti maraton še vrnem. Posebno doživetje je bilo srečanje z dr. Stephanie Šuber. Ravno sem iz cilja pospremil enega od naših tekačev na zbirno mesto pod slovensko zastavo, ko so me opozorili, da se nam je pridružilo navdušeno dekle, ki je od vznemirjenja komaj uspela povedati, da je tudi ona Slovenka po krvi, da ne more verjeti, da je sredi Sydneya srečala toliko sonarodnjakov in da se nujno moramo slikati skupaj. Pa da nam je na voljo, da nam uredi kak ogled mesta, ali pa poskrbi za naše tekače po teku. Vendarle je bila del zdravniške ekipe na maraonu in kdo bi bil boljši za to! Z svojo pristnim veseljem, avstralsko slovenščino nam je vsem polepšala dan. Dr. Šuber, naslednjič se najavim vnaprej!
Na drugem koncu sveta je res lepo začutiti, da Slovenija še vedno živi v jeziku, spominih in povezavah med ljudmi. Zato sem se z veseljem odzval tudi na vabilo na pogovor za vaš radio. Nepozabna izkušnja je bil pogovor s Kristine Suber za radio VOSA. Zdaj mi je jasno, kaj navdušeni popotniki vidijo na deželi “down under”. Človeka enostavno začara. Tudi Sydney Marathon je čudovit, a zahteven. Tekači že kmalu po startu prečkajo Harbour Bridge, nato pa jih valovita proga popelje skozi mesto do spektakularnega cilja pred Opero. Med 36.296 maratonci iz več kot 140 držav je bilo tudi vseh naših trideset. Obiskali smo še Bondi Beach, The Rocks, Darling Harbour in Blue Mountains ter se z ladjo zapeljali po enem najlepših pristanišč na svetu. Slovenija je zame raj na svetu; z gorami, zelenjem, prijetnimi ljudmi, kjer se vedno počutim varno in imam najboljšo kvaliteto življenja. Avstralija je v mnogočem podobna Sloveniji, zato me ne čudi, da je marsikdo od naših rojakov ostal tam.
V Sloveniji že približno petnajst let v društvu ŠD Maratonc organiziramo skupinska potovanja na največje svetovne maratone. Sam sem dolgoletni tekač, avtor knjige Zagret za tek in ustvarjalec istoimenskega podkasta, v katerem gostim tekače, športnike, pustolovce in druge zanimive ljudi. To počnem že 6 let, sedaj se je nabralo že več kot 320 epizod in še enkrat toliko zanimivih gostov, ki jim je tek tudi del življenja. Po letu 2021, ko je zanimanje za tekaška potovanja res naraslo, pa se praktično vsakodnevno ukvarjam z organizacijo turističnih potovanj. Kot kaže mi še nekaj let dela ne bo zmanjkalo. Maratoni so zame eden najlepših izgovorov za potovanja, Sydney pa je znova dokazal, da imam res najboljšo možno zaposlitev.
Marko Roblek
ŠD Maratonc
