Kane Cornes’ has taken his first stride into the second leg of his double marathon challenge for Telethon.
Surrounded by a cluster of supporters, media crews and a high-spirited Fat Cat, the football commentator and former Port Adelaide champion officially begun on Thursday at 7.33am.
Just five days after gritting his teeth to complete the massive Perth Running Festival marathon alongside 18,750 other participants on Sunday, Cornes is back on his feet for another gruelling 42.2 kilometres.
This time, the tarmac of the capital has been swapped for the picturesque tracks of Rottnest Island.
Cornes won’t be tackling the Rottnest winds entirely alone.
Familiar faces, including Premier Roger Cook — who is backing up for a 10km stint after also running on Sunday — and Triple M radio breakfast hosts Xavier Ellis and Katie Lamb, are locked in to share parts of the fun-filled journey.
AFL champion Luke Hodge was prepared to make a grand entrance by skydiving straight onto the island but this morning’s gloomy weather has forced him to tackle the circuit on a bike instead.
The atmosphere at the starting line was electric, charged with the unique community spirit that only Telethon can produce.
Cornes has made no secret of the fact that putting his body through absolute agony is a small price to pay if it helps kids and families across the State who are doing it tough.
As Cornes settles into his rhythm and sets off around the coastline, every single step he takes is driving momentum toward the 59th annual Telethon weekend, which kicks off at RAC Arena this Saturday.
The final fundraising tally from his mammoth double-marathon effort will be revealed over the weekend live on Channel 7 and 7Plus.