Inaugural RunNSW Virtual Series – an innovative event success, and a pathway forward

20 May 2020

Inaugural RunNSW Virtual Series – an innovative event success, and a pathway forward

Last week marked the close of a brand new event launched by RunNSW, the recreational running arm of Athletics NSW, named the RunNSW Virtual Series – which provided Virtual 4k and 5k events to all participants across NSW, and more broadly, the country.

In the wake of mass postponement of events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the “virtual run” concept was to provide Athletics NSW members, as well as the wider 1.2 million-strong running community in the state an opportunity to participate in a semi-structured event. These events included a range of “physical courses” located in quiet parts of Sydney (Sydney Olympic Park, La Perouse, Georges River), as well as the opportunity for participants to run their own 4k or 5k route starting from their front door.

The series, a free event taking place over the course of three weeks, had the help of eleven (11) very well-known distance running athletes in Athletics NSW circles, including multiple NCAA Champions and World Championship representatives Jessica Hull (BAN) and Morgan McDonald (RBH), 2x Olympian and former national 10,000m record-holder Ben St. Lawrence (RCR), Rio Olympian Jenny Blundell (SYU), 2019 World Championship Steeplechase representatives Paige Campbell (SYU) and Georgia Winkcup (UTN); Lauren Reid (TRT), Ed Goddard (UTN), Joe Burgess (SYU), Oli Raimond (SUT), and Nathan Breen (SGD). Athletics NSW would like to thank these athletes for their active involvement in helping promote the series.

Over the course of the three weeks, we saw over 1200 registrations from over 600 runners (many of who are part of the broad NSW running community), 715 results, 185 series finishers (competing 2x5k and 1x4k run over the three-week period), and 115 5km personal bests achieved. Feedback from a survey sent out to all participants indicated that many of those who participated were motivated to “push harder” during their training, keeping them accountable, and having a goal to aim at whilst running solo the majority of the time over the past weeks. Responses also showed a desire for more events like this to not only continue throughout the pandemic period, but also potentially as an additional or alternative event option even after physical events are allowed to be delivered as per usual.

The legacy of the event has continued on to Athletics Australia’s Virtual Australian Challenge, whose “Virtual 1km” event finished last Sunday, with elite junior runners, elite junior wheelchair athletes, club runners, and broader recreational runners across the country participating in the first of four events the national body will be hosting in conjunction with Athletics NSW’s assistance.

RunNSW will be looking to launch the next component of the series shortly, open to all runners (able-bodied and para-athletes) and walkers, and hopes to see even greater success than the first iteration, to continue a very positive trend of physical health that not just NSW, but the world has seen, during such trying times.

James Constantine for Athletics NSW