This annual fun run under the Sydney Running Festival because it has become so large and consists of The Marathon, Half Marathon, Bridge Run & Family Fun Run.
Many years ago I would do the Family Run Run which is 3.5 - 4 km long after the 14 km City To Surf in August and before the 14 km City To Sea in November.
Since retiring from the City To Surf I started doing the 10 km Bridge Run and continued to do the City To Sea until it was canned last year. Now I need to find another replacement fun run I can do each year.
The Sydney Running Festival has staggered start times and sub groups within each race. I always opt for the middle start group or B start.
As we lined up to wait for the start of the race a mother and her 2 little girls were asking their mother all sorts of questions about the run - they had probably completed tge City to Surf and this was their first bridge run. The smaller girl looked as if she was freezing as I stood watching her shivering during the 20 minutes or so wait before the start of the race so I offered her my rain jacket but her mother saids that is is ok. It is stil quite chilly in the mornings in Sydney in Spring.
For those who don't know I continue to do this race in memory of my mother who passed away about 5 years ago whilst I was running in this running festival.
This year because I had so much on I walked most of the 10 km and stopped to take photos and videos. I aimed to finish my race in about 1.5 hours and was pretty close to this time ( taking photos and videos along the first half of the route and towards the finish line did slow me down a little).
I did make up a bit of time around Mrs Macquarie Chair and the final hairpin turn opposite Hyde Park & towards the finish line along Macquarie Street where there were some downhill and uphill sections and where I did not take any photos or videos as I have already taken a few in past runs.
Photos below and 2 videos uploaded onto YouTube (running across the Sydney Harbour Bridge & towards the finish line in the Opera House forecourt)
So glad I stayed at the YHA Sydney Central last night as it would have taken me forever to get to Bradfield Park from where I live. I left Central for Milsons Point Station at 7 am and this was the crowd at Milsons Point Station heading towards Bradfield Park.
Bradfield Park the start area of the races . Although the race did not start until 8 am for the Bridge Run by the time I arrived we started moving into our group areas onto the street around 7.30 am which meant only time for a stretch and water forget the toliet there is usually a 30 minute queue for each of them. 7.40 am and we start shuffling up towards the start line way ahead which is not even visible from where I was. It was only visible ahead when we started running uphill.
Shufgle shuffle closer and closer uphill towards the start line and we are off! Along Middlemiss Street and around the corner through one of the arches of the Harbour Bridge and over the Harbour Bridge towards the Cahill Expressway.
Through the Cahill Expressway Tunnel and out onto the Cahill Expressway the 10 km Bridge Run continues. A must stop on a day like today to take in the view ( asnd a selfie or photo or 2) of the Opera House in the distance before continuing along Macquarie Street towards Mrs Macquarie's Chair passing the Botanic Gardens and the Art Gallery of NSW on the opposite side - so close yet so far away we are not even at the 5 km half way mark yet! Concentration to make up time no more photos for the next 3 - 4 kms or so.
This is where you do a "RUN FORREST RUN!" The last km or so down Macquarie Street, I can see the Opera House in the distant again - towards the finish line in the Opera House forecourt - one last sprint! Step over the first then the second sensors to ensure my time is registered. 1 hour 39 minutes and 51 seconds less the staggered start time - not my PB but close to what I was aiming for today.
This was the scene around the Habour foreshore & Opera House forecourt on the way to the Recovery Village & Baggage pick up areas in the Botanic Gardens.
Recovery Village Food Drink Massages Photos Merchandise & Other Activities. A Festival Bar that's a first or should that be thirst? A beer after a run.
The line to collect my pre ordered food was a longer wait then the line for photos - there was no line for fruit it was help yourself to it tiered basket. I am glad I collected my food first as I made a quick creative decision of how I was going to pose for my photo at the photo booth. Result posted onto Facebook but also below. The slogan I selected matched my creative pose quite well.
Next after eating my chicken burger banana and finishing off my water it was a text to my work collegue who was running with her CanToo team in the B start group in the 10 km Bridge Run as well and a visit to the CanToo tent to catch up with her to see how she went . The catch up was brief but great to see her and find out how she did. She aimed for 1 hour and she finished it in 1 hour and 5 minutes. So both of us got very close to our goal finishing times.
Selfie!
Finally it was a walk back to Circular Quay station to catch the train to Town Hall for some more food and shopping stopping along the way to watch the Marathon runners run their final stretch towards the finishing line also in the Opera House forecourt. Circular Quay Station is really crowded and trains are full. To get to the station entrance ( travel is free for all race participants), you have to cross at spoecial crossing points in between breaks in Marathon runners.
Watching the marathon runners after finishing my race in their final sprint towards the finish line along Circular Quay foreshore towards the Opera House forecourt. Waiting for breaks in marathon runners at special crossings to access Circular Quay Station and the train crowds at Circular Quay Station
I boarded the train from Circular Quay Station and alighted at Town Hall Station rather then alighting off at Central Station looking for something more to eat and some grocery shopping. First stop was Woolworths then a walk around to find some quality pasta as I was craving some carbs - I was initially going to have crumbed fish and a seeded salad roll from my favourite 2 food stops at Town Hall but decided that I really wanted a spaghetti Bolognese or something like that. I ended up finding a Pasta Pantry and purchasing a $10.90 medium serving of half half Penne Bolognese and Creamy Chicken Totellini with spinach leaves heated up. I took the train from Town Hall back to Central Station to YHA Sydney Central where I ate my pasta still hot ( It was so hot when I purchased it I could not even pick up the container therefore had to let it cool down a bit) along with the tropical juice and leftover water I had. ( I kept all my empty bottles and containers for earn and return on my way home for recycling - that's another 30 cents I just accumulated! Imagine what I could haave made if I hung around after the race and collected the truck loads of free cardboard water bottles given out and disposed of in all the rubbish bins around the city and beyond!)
After lunch it was time for a shower snd a sleep - I think I overslept. I did have trouble sleeping as one of the girls in the 6 share female dorm room 819 was constantly banging and zipping and unzipping her suitcase and going in and out of the dorm room making the door bang. She woke me up from my afternoon nap asnd waved to me and said "Hi" but I was so annoyed with her I ignored her and draped my towel over the side of my bottom bunk to block off the 2 full rather bright main lights she had turned on. There was another girl in the opposite bottom bunk to me and she was really quiet and kept to herself also draping a towel or shawl over her bottom bunk to partially block off the light and give her some privacy.
I don't like staying at the YHA Sydney Central and I usually stay at the other YHA Railway Square at the other end of Central Station for several reasons but due to my last minute booking rooms at YHA Railway Square were booked out so YHA Sydney Central it was. I hate everything about this YHA - the party central atmosphere, the loud noise, the older and filthy bathrooms, the layout of the YHA where the kitchen and dining areas are on the 1st floor split into 2 with older diner style bench seating which makes you feel squished in when eating, the extremely slow unreliable lifts and basically the types of people that stay there who seem to be less sophistocated then at YHA Railway Square. Nice views from my 6 share female dorm room though and the room I was staying in was quite spacious although no wifi ports at each bunk and very dirty carpet - generally the rooms needs to be cleaned!
Monday morning it was a sleep in as I had packed the previous day before having a proper sleep and then a shower and check out around 8 am unfortunately in peak hour and having to fight the public transport crowds. On route home I purchased a chicken slouvaki, egg and tomato sandwich on brown bread with no cheese, butter or sauce for breakfast - yum tasty for $6.50 or so.
Back at home I unpoacked quickly had another uninterrupted sleep in my own bed then it was off to return my faulty air mattress to Kmart Chatswood Chase for a refund and proper grocery shopping - oh how I hate doing grocery shopping!
Back home again to finish this blog and think about whether I wanted to go to Floriade tomorrow - the weather made my decision for me. It started raining on my way home on Monday night and more rain predicted overnight and peaking tomorrow ie Tuesday, therefore no Floriade tomorrow maybe the following week for a day trip in between work and a jam packed month of September.
Ratings
YHA Sydney Central : 6/10 nothing really good to say about this YHA - many years ago when I went in another fun run and stayed there, I had just purchased a tetra pack of non lactose milk labelled it and placed it in the communial fridge unopened the night before. Next morning I went to retrieve it for breakfast and it had been stolen.
Sydney Running Festival 2019 : 9/10 perfect day for a fun run. Nothing major to fault this year.
Pasta Pantry : 7/10 tasty and filling cabs but way too hot to pick up container or eat. Average price per medium serving
More adventures to follow in between working! Stay tuned. Can't believe I actually finished this blog, now back to the other 2 previous blogs to finish them 2 weeks later!!!
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