With the winter months upon us, many Sydney-siders will find themselves favouring the more sedentary side of life: drinking hot chocolate, reading books, and huddling around open fires.
Of course, for a certain sector of Sydney's society, the month of August represents the quest for peak physical fitness. This quest will culminate on Sunday 8 August, when Sydney hosts the world's largest running event.
The
City2Surf is about to enter its fortieth year. With a course of 14 kilometres, the competitors will start running from the intersection of
Park and College Streets. Continuing down William Street, the course follows
New South Head Road until it veers towards Dover Heights and concludes at the iconic
Bondi Beach.
According to the
City2Surf organisers, people enter for a variety of reasons: "to have fun; for personal health and fitness; to raise money for a good cause or just to set themselves a challenge and overcome it." As a result, there are a variety of training appropriate for
beginner,
intermediate and
advanced participants. The only prerequisite for involvement is registering through the
website or by calling the competition on 1800 555 514.
Beginning in 1971, the City2Surf originally boasted only 2000 participants. More recently, 75,000 people took part in the race. If you are the sort of person who believes in safety in numbers, it is also possible to enter as a group. Some participants even seize on the opportunity to take a more relaxed approach to the race by dressing up in colourful costumes.
