Thankfully the Mooroopna-born Yorta Yorta woman is getting closer to that opportunity after completing her first real "time trial".
With an exemption to return to regional Victoria from Broadmeadows because of medical appointments, Miss Charles-Loffel ran a "brutal" 30 km in Shepparton on Sunday, September 20.
The 28-year-old is part of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation squad that was destined to compete in the world's largest marathon in New York City.
Prior to the second wave of COVID-19 in Victoria the furthest she had run was 23 km.
When a curfew was introduced in Melbourne, Miss Charles-Loffel could exercise outdoors for only one hour of the day and was averaging 9 km per run.
“I was pretty devastated because I put in a lot of training,” she said.
“I was pumped and ready until then, and I was keen to bounce back, so determined to make the 30 k happen that I was tempted to run up and down my driveway to get the 25 k, but I am kind of glad I didn’t do that.
“I thought that would make me go insane.
“It was the first time I'd completed the 30 km and I found it pretty hard.
“That was a time trial to see if I could go on for the last 12 km. I think I can do the last 12 km — after Sunday I understand the saying ‘a marathon doesn't start until the 30 km mark'.”
The NYC Marathon was cancelled for 2020, but the Indigenous Marathon Foundation squad is hoping to run a marathon in Alice Springs in November.
Miss Charles-Loffel said it would be difficult for her and fellow Victorian squad member Andrew Thorpe to reach the Northern Territory because of border closures.
Although her fingers were crossed, she said she aimed to at least run with other members of the 16-person squad, which is comprised of indigenous people from across Australia.
“They've obviously had better chances to get the training in, but also running together as a squad,” Miss Charles-Loffel said.
“Some of the feedback I've heard is how they've enjoyed running with other people.
“I just feel like there are all these barriers being thrown at me. It’s really testing the resilience more than ‘can I run a marathon?'
“So, it’s definitely not what I thought when I first got into IMF.”