Eight students from Warragul Regional College have achieved a significant milestone after completing a 10-kilometre run as part of an initiative called the Run Beyond Project.
The group of year eight and nine girls had been training since the end of term two for the challenge, which was held on September 21 during the Run Prix event around Albert Park.
Conditions were mild but cloudy as the girls lined up alongside hundreds of other competitors to test themselves over the gruelling distance.
The Run Beyond Project began in Sydney, founded by a PE teacher who wanted to use running as a vehicle to teach life skills. What started as a small initiative has grown to include more than 60 schools - mostly in New South Wales. Warragul Regional College was one of just two schools from Victoria involved in the run this year.
WRC teacher Fiona Schack said the project was not simply about running, but about building confidence and developing attributes that would serve students long after they crossed the finish line.
"The students chosen for the run aren't necessarily ones who would call themselves runners," Fiona said.
"But the skills and attributes they have gained through their training and from completing the run have helped them all build confidence.
"The aim is that this sense of achievement will flow through to other aspects of their lives."
Fiona, along with two other WRC staff members, ran alongside the students on the day. All eight girls finished strongly, and according to Fiona, were "stoked" to reach the line after weeks of after-school sessions.
The Run Beyond Project requires students to commit to training outside of regular classes, with sessions held before and after school in the lead-up to a "goal race" of between 10 kilometres and a half marathon. The program combines physical training with theoretical lessons around goal-setting, resilience and commitment.
Students are taught to identify obstacles, develop strategies to overcome them, and model the kind of dedication needed to reach a challenging target.
Organisers emphasise that the lessons learned "go beyond the finish line" and can be applied to any area of life, whether that be future study, employment or community involvement.
The program also provides students with a gateway into the running community, encouraging them to see sport as more than an individual pursuit. Through training and competition, participants gain a greater appreciation for teamwork, mutual support and the value of contributing to community life.
Fiona said the program had proved invaluable for the group of eight girls and the school would be applying to field another team of students in 2026.