Quick recovery for marathon man

Reece Edwards didn't have long to celebrate his first marathon race victory – he was back at work the next day in his job as arehabilitation physiotherapist at Epworth HealthCare.

The 32-year-old surged to victory at the end of the 2023 Melbourne Marathon, crossing the line in two hours, 14 minutes and 34 seconds inside the city's famous cricket ground.

He shaved seven seconds off his time in last year's race, where he ended up in third place.

"It was incredible," Mr Edwards said.

"I have only been living in Melbourne for 18 months. So many people came down to support me, it felt like a home marathon.

"Coming into the MCG knowing you have won is an incredible feeling. I didn't take the lead until the last kilometre, so even when I entered the MCG there were others right behind me."

Mr Edwards returned to Australia in June 2022, having spent several years working in the United Kingdom while also competing as a runner – finishing third at marathons in England and Austria in 2021.

He received a hero's welcome from his colleagues at the Epworth Richmond Rehabilitation clinic on Monday after the Melbourne Marathon – and many of them had cheered him on at the race.

"The rehab team was so supportive – not just the physios, there were dieticians, speech pathologists, occupational therapists ... even one of the gastroenterologists came down to cheer me on," he said.

"I felt more pressure from colleagues than from the running community!"

Mr Edwards works across all four Epworth rehabilitation sites in Richmond, Camberwell, Hawthorn and Brighton.

"Reece is back at work today as if nothing happened!" said PaulFairbank, Epworth's Group Emergency Management and Business Continuity Coordinator and Deputy Physiotherapy Manager.

"He will often run home from whichever site he works at."

The race win was an early birthday present for Mr Edwards, who turns 33 on Tuesday 24 October 2023 – and came just ahead of his imminent fatherhood, with his first child expected soon.

"Reece will be well trained to run after the new baby," Mr Fairbank said.

His first race as a new dad is scheduled to be the Singapore Marathon in early December.

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