CITY TO SURF 2000

The Australian event began in 1971 with just under 2,000 runners and walkers, and some of them continue to uphold the tradition and completed 30 races. The sight is something to behold when you get there - a mosaic of cultures, ages and influences.

Fifty thousand participants registered for the race, some world-class runners, others jogging enthusiasts. Many parents took the opportunity to spend the day with their kids, either walking beside them or pushing them in strollers if they were too young to walk on their own.

The day for the City to Surf participant starts early. It's always important to get a good night's rest and eat a good breakfast so as to sustain a strong base of energy for the race. Once you arrive at the park you are greeted by thousands of people who have been there since the crack of dawn. Some are very punctual individuals who like to get up early for a nice 14km stroll and others are seasoned runners, stretching and energizing themselves with protein bars and sports drinks.

The headache of registering the day of the race is eliminated because pre-registration is limited to 50,000 entrants. When you see the massive crowd it looks more like 100,000 people. They all do the same thing when they get to where they're supposed to be, and that is wait. You wait and wait and wait for the race to start. And if your patience is not the best, guess what? The officials count down from 60 minutes, which seems rather agonizing when you think about it. There is little to keep you interested with the exception of looking up at the trees and wonder why people are throwing their sweatshirts and scarves onto the branches.

The tossing of articles of clothing into the trees at Hyde Park has become a tradition for the runners and walkers while they attempt to make light of the slow passage of time. As the weather warms in Sydney, participants shed their layers and fling their unwanted David Bowie T-shirts and green scarf with purple polka dots that Aunt Hilda gave them for Christmas into the tree limbs above them.

Each toss is greeted with a loud hurrah if the article happens to stay put on the branches. People do not do this to make a mess of the park, they do it for charity. Out of the goodness of their hearts they bring their old clothes to the park, remove and throw them into the trees for Goodwill organizations to distribute to the needy, a very novel idea, for a very good cause, at a very famous race.

When 10 a.m. finally arrives those who start "at the back of the pack" must still wait until the "seeded" runners get their start. The "seeded" runners can actually run the course in under an hour, which is more than can be said for yours truly. Needless to say, I was at the back of the pack. I was more willing to take in the wonderful city scenery as I kept an even pace.

I began the race with the highest hope of finishing the race. I figured because of my age, the 14-km walk would be no trouble at all. For the most part I was proven right, six kilometers and I was barely starting to sweat. There are lots of drinking stations along the way, about every couple of kilometers there would be hundreds of people re-hydrating themselves with water and Gatorade. Others, however, chose to stop along the way for a nice cold beer, which didn't seem the prudent thing to do, but this is Fosters country folks.

The only real challenge of the race was the notorious "Heartbreak Hill" leg of the race. The Hill was long and steep, however, I managed to maintain my composure and approach the beautiful Bondi Beach with just the idea of conquering the distance on my mind.

Close to the finish line I felt the compulsion to equip myself with a sudden burst of energy and take a nice little surge to the end. Well, let me just say I should leave this grandiose idea to the experts because my "sprint" only lasted about 10 seconds before I began huffing and puffing and finally succumbing to placing my feet one in front of the other until the end.

At the finish line I was greeted with a medal saying that I had completed the entire route. I did just that - finished - which felt good because I can remember my legs saying "thank you" once I had sat down on the cool grass overlooking one of the most magnificent beaches in the world, a surfer's paradise, pardon me, a walker's paradise (for today).

Looking back on the race, I view it as something to be done. For those who live in Sydney and the surrounding areas it is somewhat of a tradition. For those visiting the city (like myself) while the race is on, it's worth taking the time to see the sights in one afternoon, meet new people and give your body and your senses a real workout.