Bondi Beach, end point of City2Surf. The charity run kicked off from the Sydney central business district (below).
Community run from CBD to famed Bondi a sea of causes, fun for over 80,000 participants
People run for a variety of reasons. While fitness is the main drive for many, mental and emotional health, camaraderie, friendship and charity are also impetus for getting people to lace up their shoes for a run.
These are among the motivations bringing together people from all walks of life to City2Surf Sydney – the biggest charity fun run in the world.
The 14km run which starts in the central business district of Australia’s biggest city, ends on the famed shores of Bondi.
Boasting 80,000 participants, the entry fee is just the start of charity contributions, with this year’s event raising more than A$3.8mil (RM10.1mil) thanks to over 9,800 individual fundraisers pitching in to help, according to its website.
It is a sea of humanity of all shapes and sizes, some in go-fast wear, casual running outfits or matching T-shirts emblazoned with their respective causes.
Even families with young children, parents pushing prams, and people in wheelchairs and on crutches came to lend support.
And let’s not forget the ones in fun costumes. A tiger onesie-clad Jarrah Forbes-Drouler, 42, was among them.
Entertainment along the way at City2Surf Sydney.
The Sydney bar manager, who isn’t new to City2Surf, was running for Beyond Blue, a mental health and well-being organisation providing support and services for people in need.
Near him was another tiger, atop the head of Anna Xue, 28, who had flown in from the United States to run with banana-suited Chris Fox, 37, for Aspect, Australia’s leading charity organisation for people on the autism spectrum.
Turning heads and bringing attention to their cause were 20 fully kitted-out firefighters raising funds for a children’s hospital burns unit, while several tradesmen pushed wheelbarrows all the way to the end to raise awareness of mental health.
Obviously big fans of Forrest Gump, a group of men in their 40s and 50s from Sydney with full beards on and observing the lead character’s “I decided to go for a little run” arc, were hard to miss.
They were indeed out just for fun, calling out “Run Forrest, Run” along the way.
(From left) Cabaron, Xue and Fox.
Fun, though, was only part of it for Alyssa Cabaron, a nurse at Sydney Adventist Hospital.
The 23-year-old Filipina put on her running shoes for the hospital, which has been fundraising for its cardiac departments.
“I have only been running short distances, about two or three kilometres, so this will be a challenge,” she said.
Challenging oneself is also the name of the game for many at the start, including Malaysian actress Bella Dowanna, who was a guest of City2Surf airline partner AirAsiaX.
Forbes-Drouler.
The 21-year-old who has appeared in TV shows and films, said she has not always been active and in the run-up had only trained short distances.
As she set off alongside singer-presenter Farisya Iris, 25, Bella said, “I want to challenge myself, to see whether I can run 14km,” and they both did, in a respectable time of two hours and 30 minutes.
For Hawa Rizwana Redzuan, who has three half-marathons under her belt, running keeps her mood up.
“I love the satisfaction after the run, it makes me happy. On days when I don’t workout, run or don’t break out in a sweat, I get a bit grumpy,” the 29-year-old presenter said with a laugh.
The Forrest Gump runners.
“Running makes me happy and keeps me going.”
City2Surf turned out not to be all that torturous for some of AirAsiaX’s guests, with Hawa coming in at a time of 1:47:41, actor Hariz Hamdan in 1:58:15, fashionista Pipi or Nor Afifi Razi in 1:23:44 and fitness-mad Pam Zhen Shen in a speedy 56mins and 46 seconds.
The only annoyance Pam had was with the sheer numbers in his earlier wave of faster runners, where the jostling of bodies meant the 25-year-old could not fully hit the gas for his usual fast pace.
Avoid the heartbreak
That’s where wave position matters, with elite runners starting off at 7.35am and the winning male crossing the line in 40mins and 50 seconds and winning female in 45mins and 38 seconds.
Entry is via qualifying time on a previous City2Surf or other 10K races worldwide, requiring a pace of 3:25min/km (males) and 4:00/km (females) for the Elite category, down to 5:00/km further back in the Red Wave.
Green Wave shoots off at 7.40am for fast runners aiming for a personal best, Pink Wave (7.56am) lets semi-serious runners give it their best shot, Blue Wave (8.21am) calls for a steady run while Yellow Wave (9.04am) is open to runners, joggers, walkers and groups.
AirAsiaX and guests (top row, from left) Nurhafizah Tan, Pan, Hariz, Ahmad Hafiy Fezul, (middle row) Amzar Anizam, Farisya Iris, Norhalizah Hamzah, Rozaidi Aziz, (front) Hawa, Bella and Afifi.
The tail end of City2Surf is Orange Wave, which sets off at 9.34am in possibly the largest number of runners most cities ever see, and the actual running doesn’t get underway for at least 10 minutes in the push of bodies.
When space frees up, it’s a short downhill burst after the Hyde Park start and what feels like uphill for a long while.
It is a charming trek along the city streets, away from the usual tourist sights.
Along the way there are water and toilet stops, entertainment, supporters, residents giving hosedowns and charity volunteers selling their wares and offering cookies.
Trouble starts at Heartbreak Hill just after 6km. It only rises 80m but as the third hill on the course, the 2km climb can feel like forever.
Screenshot of City2Surf site with the 2025 date.
Conquer it and you’ll enjoy the thought of it all being downhill from there, plus beautiful bay vistas and Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House in the distance.
The final kilometres give you tantalising peeks of the destination – Bondi Beach.
Known for great surfing, and then for its rescue services (Bondi Rescue, anyone?), the laidback vibe of Bondi is what people may think is quintessentially Australian.
The coastal hotspot hosts a variety of events to add to its charm, such as Sculpture by the Sea exhibition which turns the area into an open-air gallery, showcasing works by artists from all over the world.
Bondi Icebergs, the famous ocean pool and club that has been around since 1929, add another layer to the beach’s appeal.
The stunning pool, which sits on the southern edge of the beach, is a favourite spot for swimmers, offering unbeatable views of the coastline.
For City2Surf, the organisers turned Bondi Icebergs into a massive ice bath, providing runners a refreshing way to recover.
If you haven’t signed up for a run in 2025, City2Surf Sydney could be one to aim for. Experienced runners can enjoy a fast race as the Aug 10 date puts it in the comfortable 10˚C to 18˚C range.
Newbies and fun runners can look forward to an enjoyable time with family and friends with a trip to beautiful capital of New South Wales to boot.
And as you run, jog, walk, wheelchair or limp with thousands of others, you are part of an event that has been going strong since 1971, bringing attention to those in need.
For more, visit https://city2surf.com.au/
