The triple world champion on the cycling track, who also has two Commonwealth Games gold medals as part of her expansive collection, had taken up running "just for fun" in an effort to keep her fitness levels up now she is away from the bike, which has has led to her having a date with the starting line of next weekend's Launceston Running Festival.

While the start of a race is not an unusual place the 27-year-old from West Pine, who will take part in the 10km race on December 13, one without a bike involved certainly will be.

A combination of timing of when she will be back home for Christmas and the encouragement and support of close friend Jess Stenson [nee Trengove, the two-time Commonwealth Games medalist who will compete in the half marathon in Launceston] had seen this happen.

"It [running] is something that I have got into recently as I have got a little puppy [Archie] and I have been out for a few runs with him and more so I have done it as a form of fitness after retiring,'' said Cure, who retired from cycling in June, on Friday.

"I was going for one run a week or maybe two runs a week for two kilometres or three kilometres, which I did for maybe a couple of weeks, then I decided to get into some more training, so it has only been the last two weeks I have started thinking about doing a race to have something to aim for."

Motivation and advice from Stenson, whose family Cure still lives with in Adelaide, locked that feeling in for Cure, but like many things in 2020, COVID-19 also played a part.

The restrictions on travel, and the fact she had not seen parents Graeme and Delwyn since retiring, had seen her extend her Christmas trip home to a month, meaning she will now arrive the day before her 10km race.

It will be the first time she has taken part in any sort of running race since she was at school, but memories of that time have her ready for next week.

The one thing she does know though is the competitive juices will be flowing.

"But as I have come from a sport that is non-weight bearing, my aim for this is to really just get through it injury free,'' she said.

"I am not nervous at all about it, I am just really excited about it.

"I'd love to do a sub-50 and I feel like I am capable of doing that, but I'd just like to get out there and do a strong run and a consistent run, and I would be happy for that and to see how I go with that.

"It is not something that I would have looked to have done, it is just that I am home in Tassie and Jess [who is aiming for her third straight Olympics] is coming down to do the half-marathon, so that will make it pretty special and I am looking forward to that."

Whether the Launceston Running Festival will be a once-off or could lead to regular appearances on starting lines for running events, such as the Burnie 10 in her home region, was something she said she would consider if "I was enjoying it and I had the opportunity".

But there was one other thing she was confident of.

"I do think my days of a professional athlete are over and it is more for fun why I am doing this,'' she said.

"So I am really looking forward to getting out there with no expectations and I know my competitive side will be there though."

The Launceston Running Festival will feature four events on December 13: a half-marathon, 10km, 5km and mile races, with Stenson one of 139 elite athletes.