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Lee Troop

@leetroop73

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🇦🇺 Olympian - Marathon
2000/ 2004/ 2008
Race Owner & Race Director:
@geelongrunningfestival
@teamgeelongrunning
@teamboulderrunning
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Happy 16th Birthday to Seek & Destroy! 🎉❤️ Max - You are so driven and dedicated to your sport, and your Mum and I genuinely admire how hard you work and how much you put into your training. You’re loyal to your mates, well-liked by everyone around you, and have a determination that will take you a long way in life. We are incredibly proud of the young man you’re becoming. Jack - You are your own person, and that’s something your Mum and I absolutely love about you. You’re not easily influenced by others, you don’t feel the need to follow the crowd, and you’re perfectly happy doing things your own way. You’re doing brilliantly at school, you’ve got a great sense of humour, and you certainly know how to keep life interesting! Never lose that individuality. Watching you both grow into the young men you are today has been pretty special. Keep being yourselves, keep chasing what makes you happy, and never lose sight of who you are. Happy 16th birthday, boys! Love Mum and Dad! ❤️🎂 by @leetroop73
TEAM Geelong Running, in partnership with Blackman’s Brewery, is excited to return for our second year of FREE weekly 5km social runs and walks, kicking off in November 2026 across all three Blackman’s Brewery locations! At Blackman’s Brewery, their philosophy is simple: They love good beer! And we believe there’s nothing better than bringing people together through running, walking and a great sense of community. Whether you’re catching up with family, friends or work colleagues, new to Geelong, visiting the region, or simply looking to meet new people, everyone is welcome! No pressure. No expectations. No need to be a fast runner. Just come along, enjoy a relaxed 5km run or walk at your own pace, and stick around afterwards for a cold beer, good conversation and some great company. It’s all about staying active, making connections and building a stronger running community, one 5km at a time. FREE to join. ALL abilities welcome. GOOD times guaranteed! • Torquay | Every Wednesday at 6:00 PM starting November 4th through to March 31st. Location: 26 Bell St, Torquay, 3228 • Ocean Grove | Every Wednesday at 6:00 PM starting November 4th through to March 31st. Location: 82 The Terrace, Ocean Grove, 3226 • Grovedale | Every Thursday at 6:00 PM starting Thursday November 5th through to April 1st. Location: 29/8 Lewalan St, Grovedale 3216 More information: www.teamgeelong.com #weeklybreweryrun #belongingeelong #summerfun #blackmansbreweryrun #letsdothis by @leetroop73
Yesterday, we held my final Colleen De Reuck Cross Country Classic. And what a morning it was! ❤️ Seeing so many familiar faces, old and new, come out to support my final XC race was incredibly special. Kids who once ran in our Mountain Lions program, now in middle school and high school, came back to say hello. Parents returned to show their support, and I was honestly overwhelmed with pride at what we’d created together since 2015. Each year, we’ve honoured a local Olympian on our race medals, and over the years, a few parents have asked me… “Aren’t you an Olympian?” “When are you going to be on the medal?” My answer was always the same: “When we have our last race!” Well, yesterday that day arrived! 😂 I kept it quiet beforehand, partly because I didn’t want to make it about me, but mostly because I wanted it to be a surprise! I was incredibly fortunate to represent Australia in the marathon at three Olympic Games - Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. Experiences I’ll always be grateful for. But watching kids from our program go on to run in middle school, high school and college, or follow entirely different paths, including one now training to become a firefighter, has been just as rewarding. It was never just about running. It was about building confidence, promoting health and fitness, and giving kids opportunities and memories that hopefully stay with them long after they’ve finished our program. To every parent, coach, volunteer and child who has been part of this journey, thank you. The sport of running and the Boulder community have given us so much, and it’s been a privilege to give a little back. Freyja and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish. ❤️ by @leetroop73
Sad news to hear of the passing of the legendary Colin Silcock. Colin was a much-loved character around Geelong, particularly to anyone connected with St Joseph’s College or the local athletics community. My connection with Colin was through running down at Landy Field, where he was always such a familiar face. Colin would talk to absolutely everyone, have a go at just about every event, and always bring plenty of personality and enthusiasm wherever he went. I hadn’t seen Colin in nearly 20 years, but back in September, he made a point of seeking me out at the Geelong Running Festival Expo just to say hello and have a chat. It was lovely to see him again after all those years. My deepest condolences to Colin’s family, friends and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. He really was one of a kind and such a lovable character. Rest in peace, Colin. ❤️ by @leetroop73
SAVE THE DATE, GEELONG! The Geelong Running Festival returns on 18 & 19 September 2027, and we’re already looking forward to making our second year even bigger and better! Following an incredible inaugural event, we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback, support and enthusiasm from our participants, partners and the wider Geelong community. While we couldn’t control the weather, which certainly tested our marathon runners, we could control how we delivered the event and the experience we created for everyone involved. We’re incredibly proud of what we achieved in our first year and remain committed to building on that success to deliver an even better experience in 2027. 2027 REGISTRATIONS OPENING SOON! • Marathon & Half Marathon - Early Bird registrations opening soon! • Wheelchair, Community Run, Kids Run & All Abilities Run - Registrations opening in early 2027. GEELONG, LET’S DO THIS AGAIN! 💙 #GRF2027 #BelongInGeelong by @leetroop73
For 17 years, I’ve remained silent about the origins of RunGeelong. But after reading an article crediting others with the vision and creation of an event I founded in 2006, I feel it’s time to set the record straight. I have never questioned the importance of what this event has become, or the millions of dollars raised for our community. In fact, seeing something I created continue to make a difference should be a source of enormous pride. But there is a history to this event that deserves to be acknowledged. A history that began before Cotton On’s involvement. A history that involved my vision, my work, my investment and years of commitment to bringing something special to the Geelong community. I have carried that experience privately for almost two decades. Seeing the origins of the event attributed to others, while my own involvement has seemingly been erased from its history, has brought back some deeply painful memories. Memories that played a part in my decision to leave Geelong and move to the USA. I won’t pretend this hasn’t hurt me. It has. More than I can probably put into words. I have never wanted to take anything away from what RunGeelong has achieved, nor the extraordinary generosity of the Geelong community. The millions of dollars raised, the lives changed and the people helped should always be the story. And I’m genuinely sorry that I feel the need to bring this up when the focus should be on celebrating those achievements. But remaining silent for 17 years hasn’t made what happened any less painful. I’m not looking to take credit for everything the event has become. I’m simply asking that the truth about where it began, and who started it, isn’t forgotten. by @leetroop73
❤️ ONE LAST RACE. ONE FINAL GOODBYE. 🏃‍♀️ After nine incredible years, it’s time to say goodbye to the Colleen De Reuck Cross Country Classic - an event that has meant so much to me. When we started this little cross country race for our Mountain Lions kids nine years ago, I never imagined what it would become. What began as a simple opportunity for our young runners to experience the joy of cross country grew into one of Colorado’s largest XC meets, hosting numerous State Championships and even the 2024 USATF Masters XC Championships. 🇺🇸 I’ve been fortunate to know Colleen for many years. I’ve lived in her home, trained alongside her, and experienced firsthand the incredible kindness and generosity of Colleen, including looking after me at the 2002 Peachtree 10K. Colleen is one of the greatest distance runners our sport has ever seen, but what makes her truly special isn’t just her remarkable achievements. It’s who she is as a person - humble, caring and generous. Over nine years, we’ve celebrated legendary Olympians, welcomed thousands of runners and created memories that will last a lifetime. But what I’ll treasure most are the smiling kids, muddy shoes, proud parents, friendships and the wonderful community that came together year after year. To Colleen, thank you for allowing us to celebrate your incredible legacy. And to every runner, parent, volunteer and supporter who has been part of this journey - THANK YOU ❤️ 🏁 ONE LAST START LINE! 📅 Saturday, October 31 📍 Harlow Platts Park, South Boulder 🏃 9:00 AM - 10 & Under | 1K 🏃 9:15 AM - 16 & Under | 3K 🏃 9:45 AM - Open | 5K 🔗 Register: www.teamboco.com ⏰ Entries close 11:59 pm - Friday, October 30 #ColleenDeReuckXC #Legend #ColoradoXC #MountainLions #BoulderXC by @leetroop73
🦃 BOULDER THANKSGIVING DAY 5K & KIDS 800M! Last year, @teamboulderrunning finally delivered a Thanksgiving Day race that truly showcased our beautiful city of Boulder, and created an event that all Boulderites could be proud of! Our new course brought together the West End and East End of Pearl Street, stretching from 9th Street to Folsom Avenue, taking runners down Broadway before finishing on the iconic Pearl Street Mall! Seriously, does it get any more Boulder than that? Along the way, you’ll run past some of Boulder’s most historic and recognisable landmarks: 🏨 Hotel Boulderado – Established 1909 🎭 Boulder Theater – Opened 1906 🏛️ Boulder County Courthouse – Built 1933 🏃 Pearl Street Mall – Established 1977 This isn’t just another Turkey Trot. It’s a celebration of our city, our community and everything that makes Boulder such a special place to live, work and run! So grab your family, round up your friends and join us on Thursday, November 26, for the @alpinebank Boulder Thanksgiving Day 5K & Kids 800M Fun Run! ❤️ RUN FOR A REASON! We’re also proud to support Boulder’s @harvest_of_hope pantry, with 10% of race proceeds donated directly to help local families in need. Participants can also make an additional personal donation when registering. RACE DAY SCHEDULE 🕘 9:00AM – Kids 800M (12 years & under) 🕤 9:15AM – 5K Run/Walk Whether you’re taking the race seriously, running with your kids, walking with friends or simply kicking off Thanksgiving morning with our incredible Boulder community, there’s a place for everyone! 👉 REGISTER NOW: https://www.teamboco.com/#/thanksgivingdayfunrun/ #BoulderColorado #ThanksgivingDay5K #TurkeyTrot #HarvestOfHope by @leetroop73
Back to Boulder for the next two months. Boulder has been such a huge part of my life. It’s where I spent so many years building programs, creating events, coaching athletes and becoming part of an incredible running community that gave me so much in return. Now it’s time to close out a couple of chapters. I’ll finish the final season of my Mountain Lions program, which I started back in 2015, along with our final two XC races. Eleven years of watching kids discover running, grow in confidence, make friendships and, most importantly, have fun. I’m incredibly proud of what Mountain Lions became and of everyone who has been part of it. Then there’s our awesome Boulder Thanksgiving Day 5K, although I’m hoping that one isn’t going anywhere just yet! There’s something pretty special about bringing the community together on Thanksgiving morning in the heart of Boulder, and I’d love to keep that tradition going. My life has changed enormously over the past couple of years, with the Geelong Running Festival now becoming such a massive part of my next chapter. But Boulder will always mean a hell of a lot to me. So, two more months of coaching, races, early mornings, familiar faces and doing what I’ve loved doing here for so many years. Let’s go @teamboulderrunning! by @leetroop73
When someone you respect as both a journalist and a friend travels 8,800 miles to Geelong to experience something you’ve spent eight years trying to bring to life, it means a lot. A huge thank you to my good mate Brian Metzler for making the journey from Colorado to be part of the inaugural Geelong Running Festival and for writing such an incredible story about his experience. Brian has been covering running and endurance sport for decades. He knows this sport, he knows events, and he knows what makes the running community special. So to read his perspective on what we created here in Geelong was pretty emotional. He didn’t just fly in, watch from the sidelines and write about it. He immersed himself in the week, saw the work happening behind the scenes, ran the Henley Homes 6.5km, experienced the course, met our community and witnessed Geelong come alive on race weekend. Brian and I became friends during my years in Boulder, and he has seen plenty of the events I’ve created over there. For him to come to my hometown and see why this one meant so much to me personally was incredibly special. There’s one line in his story and what I’ve heard repeatedly from others that really hit home: “This didn’t feel like a first-year event.” That means a hell of a lot. Brian, thank you for making the trip, for supporting me as a mate, and for telling the story of our inaugural event so beautifully. And most importantly, thank you for telling the story of Geelong and the incredible community that made this possible. You Belong In Geelong. 💙🤍🩵 Click the link in my bio to read Brian’s full story in Six Minute Mile. It’s well worth the read. https://sixminutemile.com/post/geelong-running-festival/ by @leetroop73
THIS is what the Geelong Running Festival is all about. ❤️ When we set out to create this event, we wanted it to be more than just a marathon. We wanted to create something where everyone had a place, everyone felt welcome and everyone belonged. Our inaugural All Abilities Mile was one of the moments I was most proud of across the entire weekend. The smiles. The determination. The families. The support. The pure joy of crossing that finish line. This is inclusion. To our incredible participants, families, carers and the organisations who embraced what we were trying to create; thank you for trusting us and being part of it. In 2027, we’re going to continue building our All Abilities Mile and make our Saturday an even bigger celebration of participation, inclusion and community. Because at the Geelong Running Festival, you belong. ❤️ Thank you @nolimitsgeelong 🎥 #GeelongRunningFestival #YouBelongInGeelong #AllAbilities #Inclusion #Geelong by @leetroop73
2026 GEELONG RUNNING FESTIVAL EVENT APPAREL Did you miss your chance to grab some of our official 2026 Geelong Running Festival event-branded apparel by SA1NT Layers? Good news - you can still get your hands on it! Our official 2026 event merchandise is available to purchase online, with the option to pick up from ProFeet Geelong or have your order shipped directly to you. Whether you raced, cheered from the sidelines, volunteered, or simply want something to remember our historic inaugural event, this is your chance to rep the Geelong Running Festival long after race weekend. 2026 EVENT RANGE: • Men’s Run Singlet • Women’s Run Singlet • Run Hat • Unisex Run Tee • Unisex Run Long Sleeve Grab yours while stock lasts and keep a piece of our inaugural Geelong Running Festival with you. You Belong In Geelong! https://www.geelongrunningfestival.com.au/merchandise #grfeventmerch #grf2026 #geelongrunningfestival by @leetroop73

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