City2Surf – a race of character
BY JOHN DUCKETT
This year’s City2Surf set a world record for largest fun run as 70,000 people ran, walked and crawled their way from Hyde Park to the surf pavilion at Bondi Beach to raise over $1 million for charity.
The starting line was crammed with its usual wiry muscled bunch of serious runners with serious sunnies who ran serious times. Commonwealth Games runner Martin Dent from Canberra won the race in 41 minutes and 12 seconds, a personal best for the first Australian to win in over a decade.
But not everyone was out to beat a clock as a bizarre group of competitors ranging from a squadron of Star Wars storm troopers to inflated sumos and cartoon cape crusaders battled the hills taking in the sights between gulps of air along the 14.1 km race.
Local Maroubra man and Everyday Hero, Tony Barbaro, competed in the race disguised as his alto ego, Spiderman, and earned, with 248 team members of the Think Kids Challenge, over $120,000 for the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, making it their most successful run ever.
Sadly Tony found it overwhelmingly hot running in his new Spiderman lycra suit that stretched from head to toe, which allowed Batman and Robin to place ahead of him once again. If Spiderman is to reclaim his honour Tony says a new suit will be in order.
Tragically, English-born Lee Marriage collapsed and died just 200 metres from the Campbell Parade finish line. Emergency teams attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful. He was 27-years-old.
